10th of Congress would need dementia test under Haley rule
WASHINGTON
How old is too old? Launching her 2024 campaign, Nikki Haley took a potshot at both the 80-year-old incumbent, Joe Biden, and her former boss, 76-year-old Donald Trump — insinuating they’re mentally impaired, and demanding they and the rest of their generation prove they don’t have dementia before holding office.
“America is not past our prime. It’s just that our politicians are past theirs,” the former South Carolina governor told supporters.
“In the America I see, the permanent politician will finally retire. We’ll have term limits for Congress and mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old.”
The rule envisioned by Trump’s United Nations ambassador would hit five Texans in Congress right away — notably House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger of Texas, who just turned 79 — plus two others who would turn 75 by inauguration day 2025.
In all, Haley insulted 36 House members and 16 senators in her demand for a new generation of leadership, including 89-yearold Chuck Grassley. Iowans reelected him just three months ago. Nabbing his endorsement for the caucuses might have gotten trickier.
The oldest member of Congress, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., three months older than Grassley, announced this week that she won’t seek reelection next year.
Fourteen other octogenarians might still be around to face the Haley rule, including former speaker Nancy Pelosi, 82, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who turns 81 on Monday, catching up to Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Haley is a spry 51, though she displayed a bit of confusion as she poked at the elders standing between her and the Oval Office.
“Mental competency” test usually refers to a court-ordered assessment of whether a defendant understands the charges and proceedings, and it can help lawyers mount a defense.
What Haley likely meant was neurocognitive or “mental status” testing like Rep. Ronny Jackson, RTexas, conducted on Trump.
A year ago Jackson, a zealous Trump backer and former White House physician, called Biden “brain dead” and rounded up three dozen other Republicans to sign a letter urging him to take the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. That’s a common tool for detecting dementia related to Alzheimer’s, stroke and other ailments.
On Jan. 16, 2018, Jackson announced the results. “He has absolutely no cognitive or mental issues whatsoever,” Jackson told the White House press corps.
Haley didn’t say how the tests would be mandated.
It would probably take an act of Congress, where the average age is 58, down three years since the previous election — suggesting the generational shift is already underway.