Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said Nikki Haley‘s suggestion for a mandatory mental competency test for politicians is “ageism” and should be tackled the same way as other forms of discrimination.
The age of politicians has become a hot-button topic in the 2024 presidential race after Haley, who is one of two officially-declared GOP candidates, underscored the age of politicians, stating that they were past their prime and it was time for a new generation of leaders.
WATCH: DON LEMON SLAMS NIKKI HALEY AND SAYS SHE ‘ISN’T IN HER PRIME’
In her speech, she proposed term limits for Congress and a mandatory competency test for politicians over 75 years of age — something that Sanders, who is 81, called “absurd.”
“What did she mean? I don’t understand what — yeah, no. I think that’s absurd,” Sanders said on Sunday in an interview with CBS News. “You know, we are fighting racism, we’re fighting sexism, we’re fighting homophobia — I think we should also be fighting ageism.”
Sanders said age cannot always be an indication of competency.
“Trust people, look at people, and say, you know, this person is competent, this person is not competent,” Sanders said. “There are a lot of 40-year-olds out there who ain’t particularly competent. Older people, you know, you look at the individual, I don’t think you make a blanket statement.”
Sanders added that, in regards to former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, both of who would be included in the competency test age range, American should “look at what they do, what they believe in.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“What are they fighting for? What does Donald Trump stand for? Do you believe in that? Well, I certainly don’t,” Sanders said. “What does Joe Biden stand for? What is he doing? Has he accomplished … look at him in that way, not on age.”
Discussions about politicians’ age have entered the field from both sides of the aisle. CNN This Morning host Don Lemon came under severe scrutiny for saying Haley “isn’t in her prime.” Later, Lemon apologized for his comments, calling them “inartful and irrelevant.”
