Will Democrats Try to Turn the Tables on Trump’s Age?

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on May 2, 2023 in Turnberry, Scotland. (Photo by Robert Perry/Getty Images)

Happy Friday! And a happy belated Star Wars Day to everybody except California Rep. Adam Schiff

Up to Speed

  • Florida’s legislative session concludes today, clearing the path for Gov. Ron DeSantis to launch his campaign for president in the coming weeks. In the closing days of the session, the legislature passed several bills designed to smooth the governor’s campaign path, including one that would eliminate Florida’s “resign to run” law and another that would shield the governor’s travel records from public disclosure. DeSantis has yet to sign either bill into law.
  • Two-term Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico said in a video announcement Thursday that he will run for reelection in 2024—good news for Senate Democrats, as they defend a host of incumbent seats this cycle.
  • Democratic Rep. David Trone, co-founder of Total Wine and More, filed paperwork to run for retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin’s seat in 2024. Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is also widely expected to announce a bid, and Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin—the manager for former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment—told TIME this week he will use this month to decide whether to run. Raskin is the ranking Democrat on House Oversight who announced last week that he is in remission after undergoing chemotherapy for large B-cell lymphoma.
  • Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio “for years claimed an owner-occupancy tax credit at two properties, public records show—a potential violation of the state’s rules governing such incentives,” NBC’s Henry Gomez reports. Brown and his wife “also were late paying the tax bill on their Cleveland house at least seven times since purchasing it in 2013” and at one point Cuyahoga County labeled them “delinquent.” Brown is one of the most vulnerable Senate Democratic incumbents this cycle.

Democrats Toy With Targeting Trump’s Age, Too

As Democrats navigate questions about Joe Biden’s age, some party strategists are preparing to remind voters Donald Trump is an old man, too. And in their telling, the current Republican frontrunner is remarkably less vibrant than the globetrotting incumbent president.

“Joe Biden is traveling the world, risking his life in war zones,” a senior Democratic strategist told The Dispatch. Meanwhile, the strategist added, an overweight Trump is “selling NFTs to Proud Boys from his gold, spray-painted couch.”

“It’s not just age, it’s presentation,” another Democratic operative added. “Elections are a choice, and about the future. In this case, the choice is between stability and a known future of chaos. It’s not just that Trump is old, it’s that he’s old and voters now know all the baggage that comes with him. That combination can be fatal.”

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