Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley's proposal of mental competency tests for politicians aged 75 and older as "absurd."
During an interview, on top of fighting racism, sexism, and homophobia, Sanders said that the American people should also fight against ageism. The 81-year-old urged people to trust officials and base their competence on achievements or results.
Sanders on Haley's Proposal
He argued that there are a lot of 40-year-olds out there in the world who could be considered more competent. The Vermont senator's comments come as the 51-year-old Republican floated the idea of conducting mental competency tests when she made her official presidential campaign announcement on February 15.
The former South Carolina governor said that America is still in its prime, arguing that only the politicians are. Her remarks come as both sides of the government are becoming more vocal about the issue of age. As per Axios, a potential rematch between 80-year-old Joe Biden and 76-year-old Donald Trump becomes a possibility for the 2024 presidential elections.
The idea of mental competency tests was discussed during Trump's presidency when the Republican businessman bragged that he supposedly "aced" a cognitive test that the White House physician at the time administered.
Despite previous uses, cognitive tests would not accurately assess whether or not a person is still competent enough to be in office. Carolyn Aldwin, an Oregon State University gerontologist who directs the school's gerontology program, said that such tests, more often than not, are timed.
He noted that as humans age, their neurological processing slows down, meaning that tests would label them as being impaired when they are not. Another expert, David Nace, the chief of geriatric medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said that cognitive tests do not necessarily mean that they do not have sufficient capacity.
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Haley's 2024 Presidential Campaign
So far, supporting a mandatory age-based competency test has been Haley's only way to distinguish herself from Trump. According to Rolling Stone, she has refused to talk about the political differences between her and the former president.
Sanders is not the only lawmaker who aimed Haley's proposed mental competency tests for older politicians. In a statement, Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono said that the GOP presidential candidate should take her own proposed mental competency test.
The situation comes as Haley is poised to take on Trump in the 2024 presidential elections, saying during her announcement that it is time for a new generation of leadership. The former UN Ambassador under the Trump administration laid out her campaign plans on February 15.
The 51-year-old daughter of Indian immigrants has gained a reputation in the GOP as a solid conservative who can address various issues, including gender and race, in a much more credible fashion than many of her colleagues.
Haley's announcement was more than 20 months away from the November 2024 elections, which gives her ample time to draw attention before the Republican list of candidates grows in the next few weeks and months, said Reuters.
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