Trump endorses Nikki Haley’s call for cognitive tests for politicians 75 and up
Ryan King
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Former President Donald Trump tacitly endorsed former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley’s proposed mandatory mental competency test for politicians 75 and older.
Without mentioning her name directly, Trump, 75, threw his weight behind the idea stipulating that it should come during or before candidate announcements, and added that presidential contenders in that age range should also prove that they are physically capable of performing the duties of the presidency.
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“ANYBODY running for the Office of President of the United States should agree to take a full & complete Mental Competency Test simultaneously (or before!) with the announcement that he or she is running, & likewise, but to a somewhat lesser extent, agree to a test which would prove that you are physically capable of doing the job,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Haley floated the notion of a mandatory mental test for aging politicians during her 2024 campaign debut last week, in which she centered her campaign message on a need for new leadership in Washington, D.C.
The pitch has been perceived as a jab at President Joe Biden, who, at 80 years old, is the oldest president in the history of the United States and has been prone to verbal flubs and flagrant mishaps. Biden is expected to reveal his plans regarding 2024 within the coming weeks. He would be 82 at the start of a hypothetical second term in office and 86 by the end of it.
Biden received a physical last week that deemed him “healthy” and “vigorous.” Some have also viewed Haley’s idea as a dig at Trump. During the 2020 cycle, Trump took a cognitive test and crowed about it publicly to pressure Biden to do the same.
“Being an outstanding President requires great mental acuity & physical stamina. If you don’t have these qualities or traits, it is likely you won’t succeed. MAGA!” Trump added.
Others have spurned the idea. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), 81, decried it as “ageism.” He vied against Biden in 2020 and has not ruled out running again in 2024 should Biden bow out of the running.
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“What did she mean? I don’t understand what — yeah, no. I think that’s absurd,” Sanders said Sunday. “You know, we are fighting racism, we’re fighting sexism, we’re fighting homophobia — I think we should also be fighting ageism.”
Some polls and focus groups have pegged unease among general voters about both Biden and Trump’s age. Both candidates have been leading polls in their respective primaries for the 2024 contest.