“Donald Trump Forgot What State He Was In”: DeSantis Says Trump, Like Biden, Is Too Old for the Presidency

William FurneyNov 4, 2023

Minute Read

Both leading candidates for their parties’ nominations for the 2024 presidential election are too old and should retire not only from the race but politics, Florida Governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis has blasted.

City Name Blunder

DeSantis’ attack on the frontrunners came after Donald Trump gave a speech in Iowa, but forgot which city he was in. Trump had said to Republicans at the rally, “Hello, Sioux Falls” — a city about 100 miles away, in another state. Instead, Trump was in Iowa’s Sioux City. The crowd booed the ex-president, before someone corrected him and, realizing his mistake, he said, “Oh! Oh!”

Online Attack

Image Credit: Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock.

DeSantis, who is a long way down in the polls, at nearly single digits, attacked Trump on his campaign DeSantis War Room account on X, formerly called Twitter.

“Donald Trump forgot what state he was in yesterday, prompting a handler to inform him that he was in Iowa. Who does that remind you of?’

Biden Woes

Image Credit: Gints Ivuskans / Shutterstock.

DeSantis was clearly referencing President Biden when he mentioned Trump’s apparent age-related memory loss. Biden has been beset by a series of stumbles and tumbles, including when walking on the steps of the presidential plane, Air Force One, and on stage. He has also raised concerns with speeches and in remarks to reporters that appeared rambling and incoherent, leaving some to wonder if he’s fit to govern.

Young and Old

Desantis, at 45, is just over half Trump’s age of 77. President Biden is 80. A growing number of Republicans and Democrats, both politicians and voters, are calling for “fresh blood.” The US Constitution says the minimum age at which a candidate can run for the presidency is 35.

Age a Campaign Issue

Political analysts say DeSantis, whose campaign has run into trouble over a series of issues, is positioning himself as a fresher, more vibrant candidate for the White House and will likely keep up his attacks on Trump’s age.

Trump the Frontrunner

In an average of national polling, DeSantis has 12.9 percent support among registered Republican voters, compared to Trump’s massive lead of 59.1 percent. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, 51, is in third place, with 7.4 percent, followed by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, 38 — the youngest candidate of any party nomination hopeful — at 5.4 percent and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, 61, with a mere 3 percent.

Trump ‘Not Concerned About His Age’

Reaction online to DeSantis’ attack on Trump’s age was mostly supportive of the former president. One person said on X, referencing Trump’s many legal problems:

“President Trump has more on his mind with all the witch hunts going on it is a wonder he is doing as great as he is! Many people wouldn’t [know] if they were coming or going with all the crap! Don’t compare him to the body in the White House!”

Trump’s ‘Mild’ Mistake

Another person on X, with the handle @realsville, chimed in: “I mean I’m going to vote for Desantis, but getting Sioux Falls and Sioux City mixed up seems pretty mild compared to anything Biden does. I hate that this campaign has devolved into conservatives bashing one another.”

‘Dredging the Barrel’

Another X user suggested DeSantis was clutching at straws in going after Trump’s age:

“At least [Trump] corrected. If this simple error is what you want to concentrate on… dredging the bottom of the barrel for something this weak, doesn’t say much for your confidence.”

‘Trump Accident Tracker’

In a sign that DeSantis will indeed maintain his attacks on Trump’s age, his campaign has launched a “Trump Accident Tracker”

The DeSantis War Room Account said: “Today we are unveiling the ‘Trump Accident Tracker’ — a way of recording how long the former president can go without a workplace accident on the campaign trail.”

No Accidents So Far

Editorial credit: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.

Despite several posts under the Accident Tracker, the campaign so far has no accidents to report. The most recent post said:

“Donald Trump spent yesterday tucked away in his basement doing his best to read off his teleprompter — in other words, another rest day! The tracker remains at 0 days accident-free, because hiding in the basement doesn’t count as a work day.”

Trump Indictments

DeSantis will have plenty of opportunities for more substantial attacks on Trump, observers say, given the four indictments he is battling. He’s been charged with attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Biden and for trying to block the peaceful transfer of power. In another case, Trump is accused of removing secret government files from the White House and illegally storing them at his home in Florida. He is also battling fraud charges relating to his Trump Organization property empire, and faces the prospect of a $250 million fine. Trump denies all the charges.