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Bernie Sanders, 81, accused Nikki Haley of “age discrimination” after she called for all politicians over the age of 75 to take mental competency tests.
Sanders ran for president in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. If elected, he would surpass President Joe Biden’s record as the oldest US president in history.
Haley, 51, announced her run for president last week, saying shortly thereafter that there should be a mandatory mental competency test for older politicians.
It follows a report that even Democrats are expressing anxiety behind the scenes about Biden’s age as he weighs announcing a 2024 re-election bid. If he runs again, he would be 82 on inauguration day.
‘But. I think that’s absurd,” Sanders laughed at Haley’s proposal.
It lumped together the prospect of imposing specific provisions on people of a certain age along with other forms of discrimination.
Senator Bernie Sanders, 81, called for “fighting age discrimination” as presidential candidate Nikki Haley said politicians over the age of 75 should be required to take a mental competency test.
Nikki Haley said that all politicians over the age of 75 should take a mental competency test to prove they are fit for office.
“You know, we’re fighting racism, we’re fighting sexism, we’re fighting homophobia, I think we should also fight ageism,” the independent Vermont senator told Margaret Brennan during an interview with Face the Nation from CBS.
“Trust people, look at people and say, you know, this person is competent, this person is not competent,” Sander continued. “There are a lot of 40-year-olds who aren’t particularly competent.”
“Older people, you know, you look at the individual, I don’t think you make a blanket statement.”
Sanders declined to comment specifically on the current commander-in-chief, who has been criticized for his frequent errors and memory problems. Instead, he said voters should focus on the issues that mean something to them and whether the candidates embody it.
‘Look what they do, what they believe. What are they fighting for? What does Donald Trump stand for? Do you believe in that? Well, certainly not. What does Joe Biden stand for? What is he doing? Has he achieved he-look at him- look at him that way, not in age,’ said the senator.
Nikki Haley on Thursday defended her demand that politicians over the age of 75 undergo mental competency tests, claiming they are past their “prime.”
‘When people send someone to Washington, they need to know that they are at the top of their game. That’s why I think these competency tests are important,’ he argued on Fox & Friends. “We can’t have someone like Joe Biden, who is asleep at the wheel, and have China sitting there threatening us and asking us if he really knows what’s going on.”
Haley pitched for the tryouts at a 2024 campaign kickoff speech Wednesday in Charleston.
The plan appeared to be aimed at both Biden, 80, and former President Donald Trump, 76, who until Haley intervened Tuesday, was the only Republican to have announced a 2024 presidential run.
When asked by Brian Kilmeade of Fox how Haley thought Trump would fare, his former ambassador to the United Nations said she believed the former president would pass away.
During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Haley defended her lawsuit, claiming that politicians in this era are past their “prime.”
‘You know, I think he did very well the last time he did it. I have no reason to think she wouldn’t do well this time,” Haley responded. But I think we need it.
He added that mental competency tests should not only be administered to presidents, but also to older members of Congress.
Trump bragged in July 2020 that he asked his doctor to allow him to take a cognitive test to “shut these people up,” referring to those who were critical of his mental fitness to hold office.
‘There were 30 or 35 questions. The first questions are very easy. The last questions are much more difficult. As a memory question,” Trump said in an interview with Fox. “It’s like, you’ll say ‘Person, female, male, camera, TV.’ So, they say, ‘Could you repeat that?’ So, I said, ‘Yes. So, it is: Person, woman, man, camera, TV. Okay, that’s very good. If you put it in order, you get extra points,’ Trump explained.
The president then said that 10 minutes later he was asked to repeat the words in order again and he did so successfully.
”You can do it?’ And you say: ‘Person, woman, man, camera, TV,’ Trump said. ‘They’re like, ‘That’s awesome, how did you do that?’ I do it because I have a good memory. Because I’m cognitively there,” he said.
The clip went viral and was used for fodder by comedians.
President Joe Biden leaves the White House on Thursday for Walter Reed to have a physical. Haley called on politicians over the age of 75 to take competency tests, saying Thursday morning that Biden is “asleep at the wheel.”
Former President Donald Trump criticized Haley, his former UN ambassador, after she delivered her presidential platform in Charleston on Wednesday, saying he did South Carolina a “favour” by appointing her to the UN for Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster could take over.
Biden was at Walter Reed on Thursday for his annual physical, which has been delayed for several months.
When you previously received a physical exam, your doctor did not mention any type of cognitive exam.
During his inaugural address on Wednesday, Haley argued: “It’s not that America is past its prime, it’s just that our politicians are past theirs.”
“We will not win the fight for the 21st century if we continue to trust the politicians of the 20th century,” he added.
Two days into her presidential bid, Haley’s main selling point has been that she, at 51, represents generational change.
She told the hosts of Fox & Friends that when she called Trump to let him know she was running, “I told him I was doing this because I thought it was time for a new generation.”
Trump, however, did not greet Haley’s entry into the race gracefully.
He mocked her Wednesday on Truth social, claiming she only had 1 percent support in the polls.
The most recent 2024 Republican primary candidate poll, by Reuters/Ipsosit shows Haley with 4 percent support.
“That was a big reason I appointed Nikki to the position – it was a favor to the people I love in South Carolina!” Trump sparred on Truth social in the hours after Haley’s 2024 campaign launch
‘He’s in the polls at 1%, not a bad start!’ Trump also commented. Haley responded during his Fox & Friends interview by saying that he was “not afraid” that the former president would try to blow up his presidential campaign.
In addition, he said that he did a “favor” to South Carolina by appointing her ambassador to the UN.
‘The greatest thing Nikki Haley ever did for our country, and the Great State of South Carolina, was to accept the position of Ambassador to the United Nations so that the incredible then Lieutenant Governor, Henry McMaster, could be Governor of South Carolina, where he’s done an absolutely fantastic job,” Trump said.
“That was a big reason I appointed Nikki to the position – it was a favor to the people I love in South Carolina!” added the former president.
Fox’s Steve Doocy said he believed a number of Republicans were eyeing the 2024 race, but were hesitant to participate for fear Trump would “exploit” them.
“That’s the difference between me and them,” Haley said. I’m not afraid of that.
‘I love America. I know we don’t have time to lose,’ added the former South Carolina governor.