Donald Trump is now the oldest U.S. President in history, at 79 years old, and questions about his stamina and health have become impossible to ignore. Despite repeated claims of “perfect” medical exams, Trump has been caught on camera appearing to nod off during Cabinet meetings, press conferences, and even international summits. Clips of him closing his eyes for long stretches have gone viral, earning him nicknames like “Dozy Don” and “The Nodfather”. The irony is striking: Trump spent years branding Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe,” yet Biden was never publicly caught sleeping on the job in the same way. The double standard is glaring, and frankly, has me angry enough to rant about it. If Biden had ever fallen asleep during a televised Cabinet meeting, the backlash would have been relentless. Conservative media would have amplified it as proof of incompetence. Yet when Trump does it, the MAGA world scrambles to explain it away.
But here’s the deeper point: I would rather have Sleepy Joe—even in a hypothetical state of advanced dementia—than Trump at his prime. Why? Because Biden embodies qualities Trump has never grasped: empathy, decency, and common sense. Biden’s leadership style has consistently emphasized compassion and unity, qualities that resonated despite inheriting Trump’s mess. Under Biden, America invested in science, education, and pandemic preparedness, ensuring that institutions remained strong enough to prevent another COVID-19-scale disaster.
Trump, by contrast, has shown himself disconnected from what it means to be a decent human being. His governance has been marked by chaos, self-interest, and as ever, total disregard for the truth. Economically, his record is far less impressive than his rhetoric suggests. While he boasts of creating the “greatest economy in history,” data shows his first term’s GDP growth averaged only 2.67%—solid, but weaker than Clinton or Reagan. In his current term, the economy has been marred by instability, weakened consumer confidence, and erratic policy shifts.
So yes, Trump is the oldest and arguably the unhealthiest president we’ve ever had. But more importantly, he is the most disconnected from decency. And that matters more than age or health. Decency is what builds economies, sustains institutions, and protects people. Biden has it. Trump does not. And that’s why, no matter the circumstances, I would’ve choose Biden over Trump if Democrats didn’t leave him out to rot.
