MINNEAPOLIS — We are in uncharted territory with this presidential election.
Ronald Reagan used to have the record as the oldest president, he was 73 when he left office.
President Biden broke that record when he was elected, and now both he and Trump would set a new record as the oldest elected president in U.S. history.
During this campaign, their age has been brought up multiple times.
The report from the Special Counsel on President Joe Biden this week has sparked another debate over age in the presidential race.
President Biden defended himself during a press conference Thursday.
"My memory is fine," President Biden said during the press conference.
Joseph Gaugler is the Director of the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation at the University of Minnesota.
"It's concerning how this report has fed into a larger narrative during the election,” Gaugler says.
"All of these notions that for some reason being older makes one less qualified."
Gaugler says many candidates in the race have used age as a weapon against their opponent and it’s concerning to see so many pervasive messages regarding age and a candidate’s ability to perform the duties of president.
Republican hopeful Nikki Haley has made comments about Trump and Biden's age countless times on the campaign trail.
"We can't be okay with two 80-year-olds running for president,” Haley said during a recent interview on “The Breakfast Club.”
Democrat Dean Phillips is also touting his youth after the special counsel’s report.
On Friday afternoon, Phillips tweeted “I’m the well-meaning, 55-year-old man with a good memory who will defeat the ill-meaning, 77-year-old man with a bad memory this November.”
The AARP released a statement in January that condemned age discrimination in politics.
However, age is a concern for many voters.
A survey from the Associated Press showed 77% of respondents feel President Biden is too old to serve another four-year term.
That survey included input from both Democrats and Republicans.
An NBC survey released this week showed 76% of respondents are concerned about the president's physical and mental health, and 48% were concerned about Trump’s physical and mental health.
Gaugler says this constant focus on age is concerning for many older Americans.
"What they're getting is that ageism is alive and well in the U.S.,” Gaugler says.
There is also a debate brewing over age limits in Congress.
In North Dakota, there is an idea floating around that no one over the age of 80 should be allowed to represent their state in Congress.
Right now, the average age in the U.S. Senate is 64.