Schwarzenegger: Aging Democratic, Republican leaders should step aside for new generation

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said Monday that he thinks it’s time for aging public officials of both parties to step aside for a new generation of political leaders. 

In remarks at a Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference, Schwarzenegger stopped short of saying President Biden should not run for reelection but stressed the importance of propping up a new generation of leaders, rather than “squishing them.”

“It’s up to him,” Schwarzenegger said when asked whether President Biden, 80, should run again. “I mean, I’m not going to tell him not to run.”

“But I just believe that we should look for the new breed in both parties, for the new breed, for the new generation, a new generation of leaders, rather than squishing them,” Schwarzenegger said. 

Schwarzenegger’s comments come amid rising concerns about the age of several political leaders. Questions surrounding Biden’s age have sharpened amid his reelection campaign, while in Congress former Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) died in office at age 90 in September after struggling with health issues in recent months. Concerns about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) health have also been in focus lately after the long-time Republican leader twice appeared to freeze up in front of reporters for about 20-30 seconds each time. 

Schwarzenegger nodded to McConnell’s recent episodes in his comments at the conference.

“It’s very hard to say what is the age limit on anything, and especially in politics. I mean, you can see certain people that, all of the sudden, freeze in the middle of a sentence, and then they just stare,” Schwarzenegger said, in an apparent reference to McConnell. 

“If he freezes, there’s something going on,” the former governor said. “And I know then the next day, there’s a lot of spinning going on – that he was just thinking about something very complicated. It all sounds good. I don’t buy into it.”

He said moments like these should prompt people to “then start thinking about stepping aside and letting a newer generation step in and then fill that vacuum.”