At 78, Trump claims ‘only stupid people’ appoint older justices to Supreme Court

Donald Trump during an interview said that "only stupid people put old" individuals to the Supreme Court, seemingly overlooking the fact that he himself is 78 years old and running for the highest office in the executive branch.

Trump made these comments during an interview with Bloomberg in Chicago. He said, "And somebody said, 'Would you come up with a list of 20 or 25 justices, in this case mostly judges, that you'd put in in case it were necessary?'"

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During his one term as president, Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court, including Neil Gorsuch (49 at the time), Brett Kavanaugh (53), and Amy Coney Barrett (48). These choices were relatively younger than many previous appointees.

“Now, it's amazing because I got three in four years,” Trump said, referring to his nominations. “Most people get none because, you know, you put them in the young. You tend to put them in young. Only stupid people put old. “You know, you don’t put old in, because they’re there for two years or three years, right?"

The interviewer, Micklethwait, then pointed out, "You're a 78-year old man running for president."

When confronted about his own age, Trump sidestepped the comment and instead focused on his record of appointments. “So, I got three,” he responded. “A lot of presidents get none, I got three. And, uh, I think they’ve been three great choices too, by the way.”

Nowadays, it is common for presidents to select younger candidates for the Supreme Court, as justices hold lifetime appointments. Appointing younger individuals allows a president to install someone with an identical ideology on the court for decades.

Trump is running for another term in the White House and is currently the oldest candidate for president in US history. If he wins in November, he will be 82 years old by the end of his term in 2029. His age has been a frequent point of criticism from Democrats, who have questioned his mental acuity, and whether he is fit to serve.

(With inputs from agencies)