Rep. Maxine Waters firmly rejected calls for age limits on elected officials during a brief exchange with reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday, arguing that voters should judge leaders based on their performance rather than the number of candles on their birthday cake.
The 87-year-old California Democrat was approached by a TMZ producer after a Working Families press conference and asked whether younger Americans have a valid concern that some politicians remain in office for too long. Waters made it clear that she does not believe age alone determines a person’s ability to serve.
Instead, she said voters should focus on an elected official’s accomplishments, effectiveness, and overall record.
“What do they do? What can you document? What can you give them credit for? What can you criticize them for?” Waters said, adding that once people carefully evaluate those factors, they can make an informed decision.
When the interviewer suggested that achievements and effectiveness matter more than age, Waters quickly agreed.
“Performance and effectiveness,” she responded.
The conversation then turned to President Donald Trump. Asked whether an 80-year-old commander in chief might be too old for the job, particularly after years of debate surrounding former President Joe Biden’s age, Waters declined to discuss Trump’s age directly.
Instead, she sharply criticized the president’s leadership.
“The president of the United States is destroying our democracy,” Waters said. She also accused Trump of breaking promises and enriching himself and his family through cryptocurrency ventures while seeking to expand his own power.
The interviewer then returned to the broader issue and asked whether there should be a formal age limit for the presidency. Waters again dismissed the idea, insisting that voters alone should decide who is fit to serve.
Pressed with a hypothetical question about whether even a 100-year-old candidate should be allowed to hold office, Waters remained consistent.
“The people should evaluate who should be in office with their vote, and that’s it,” she said.
Waters’ comments come as she faces one of the toughest reelection battles of her long political career. She has represented South Los Angeles in Congress for 35 years and is now being challenged in the Democratic primary by 53-year-old nonprofit executive Myla Rahman.
Rahman has argued that the district is ready for a new generation of leadership, noting that the average age of residents is around 36 and emphasizing issues such as housing costs and raising children in the community.
Waters, however, believes her experience and longstanding relationships with constituents remain her greatest strengths. She said political parties choose candidates based on their work, commitment, and service, not their age.
Her remarks add to the ongoing national debate over the age of America’s political leaders and whether experience or generational change should carry greater weight with voters.
