Nikki Haley's idea of 'competency test' for elderly politicians slammed by Jill Biden

Washington: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's suggestion that candidates over 75 years old take a mental competency exam was termed "ridiculous" by US First Lady Dr Jill Biden on Monday.

When questioned about such a suggestion from Indian-American Haley, who declared her candidature for president on February 14, Dr Biden told CNN in an interview that it was "ridiculous".

Haley's proposal has caught national attention, but she has been slammed by leaders in both the Republican and the Democratic parties.

Haley, the two-term governor of South Carolina, is 51, while President Joe Biden would be 82 at the time of his inauguration in 2025 if he is re-elected in the November 2024 election.

Biden, who is already the oldest president in the history of the United States, has not announced his 2024 decision yet but is most likely to announce it soon. Leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is only a few years younger than Biden.

In her presidential campaign so far, Haley has pitched for youth and a new generation of leadership. "We would never even discuss something like that," Dr Jill Biden said when asked about such a proposal from the Republican politician.

"How many 30-year-olds could travel to Poland, get on the train, go nine more hours, go to Ukraine, meet with President (Volodymyr) Zelensky? Look at the man. Look what he is doing. Look what he continues to do each and every day," she said, pointing to a recent trip of the president to Ukraine and Poland.

With PTI inputs