The cover of The New Yorker magazine's Oct. 2 issue takes aim at the average age of politicians in Washington, D.C., depicting several in a footrace with the help of walkers.
Alex Thompson, national political correspondent for Axios, shared the image on X on Monday morning. The post had been viewed nearly 196,000 times later Monday.
Included in the illustration are former President Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Joe Biden.
Francoise Mouly's cover story, which accompanied the image, questions if America is in danger of becoming a "sclerotic gerontocracy" or a society governed by debilitated elderly politicians.
The piece also featured a discussion between New Yorker cartoonist Barry Blitt, who drew the cover image, and Mouly — both in their 60s — about the various aspects of aging, including hernia repair surgeries, missing teeth, baldness, and borrowed walkers.
For the magazine's cover, Mouly said that Blitt explored "the irony and absurdity of the advanced-age politicians currently vying for our top offices."
At 65, Blitt is "a qualified member of the past-their-prime cohort," Mouly wrote, who drew from his own experience to create the magazine cover.
Response to Thompson's post on X was sharply divided, between those who found the image insulting to elderly or disabled people and those who said the image isn't an accurate representation.
"I had already marked my re-subscription letter for cancellation, but if I hadn't already done so this would have pushed me over the brink," Judith Simpson wrote. "Yes, some of our politicians are old. But making fun of older people further marginalizes us as a class. I've had it."
Tori Tyrrell accused the magazine of ableism, posting, "@NewYorker You are letting your ableism show and it is gross."
"Lose the running shoes and put them in hospital slippers," another said. "Add about fifty more SENATORS over 70 in the background. It's ridiculous what the two parties and the voters in primaries put up for our Congressional and Presidential representatives. It's not ageism it's rationalism."
Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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