© REUTERS / Carlos Barria; Facebook; REUTERS / Leah Millis(L) Donald Trump; (C) Nikki Haley; (R) Joe Biden
Haley floated the idea when asked about President Joe Biden's mental state and apparently cognitive lapses, which have been a recurring target for his Republican critics. Speaking about what image the US leader was projecting due to such instances, Haley suggested screening all candidates for top offices in the country for cognitive capacity.
"Just like you have to show your tax returns, you should have some sort of health screening so that people have faith in what you're doing," she said on Christian Broadcasting Network news show The Water Cooler. A clip from the upcoming interview was posted by host David Brody on Thursday.
"Right now, let's face it, we've got a lot of people in leadership positions that are old. And that's not being disrespectful. That's a fact," Haley added.
At age 78, Biden is the oldest serving US president. His predecessor, Donald Trump, was 74 when he left office - and would be 78 during the 2024 election campaign if he runs again.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 81, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is 79. So the claim that the US has turned into a gerontocracy is valid to some degree.
Haley, 49, argued that the issue of cognitive capacity "shouldn't be partisan" before questioning Biden's behavior, suggesting he is not "with it" and is giving signals that his administration's decisions are being taken by someone else.
Trump's mental health was likewise put under a microscope by his Democratic critics during his term. His boastful remarks about "acing" the Montreal Cognitive Assessment were targeted with a barrage of mockery, exemplified by comedian Sarah Cooper's lip-synching parody.
Haley's suggestion received quite partisan treatment online too. Many of the negative responses focused on her role in the Trump administration and her suspected ambition of becoming the GOP nominee in 2024. One sarcastic commenter suggested Haley had two personalities: one personality "dedicated to Trump" while the other "wants him to take a cognitive test."
Many commenters took issue with her reference to tax returns. Disclosing them is not mandated by law for presidential candidates, but is simply a tradition which Trump blatantly snubbed. Digging for the elusive financial papers was a significant part of the 'Russiagate' saga, as people accusing Trump of colluding with Moscow speculated that a solid money connection could be unearthed in his tax returns.
Some people found Haley's suggestion distasteful, especially since it appeared as a de facto attack on Biden, even though she touted it as non-partisan.
Comment: Nikki Haley may have a lot of faults, but it's important to be able to separate a person from their ideas. In this case, a cognitive test requirement for holding office would actually be a good idea. As pointed out in the article there's quite of few members of Congress, and one sitting President, who're in office well past their expiration date. The nation would do well to, as standard practice, make sure that those who want to serve are actually fit to do so.