First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recently stood entirely against the idea that her husband, President Joe Biden, be made to take part in a competency test designed for elderly politicians.
As part of a recent interview, Biden labeled the idea that was proposed by Nikki Haley, who is currently making a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, an entirely “ridiculous” idea.
“We would never even discuss something like that,” she stated when questioned about the possibility of her husband being subjected to such a test, as reported by CNN.
"It's ridiculous."
First lady Jill Biden dismisses Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's calls for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75 https://t.co/nrIHMlR3UM pic.twitter.com/C1bbTIEP4i
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 3, 2023
As the president is nearly 80, Joe Biden is already the oldest person historically to hold the office. A large number of concerns have been highlighted over the past few years regarding the mental acuity and physical fitness of the president, even among the people within his own party, which have all been pushed further by a number of instances in which the president has fumbled over his statements or tripped up or down stairs.
Haley seemingly took aim at Biden along with former President Donald Trump, under whom she previously worked as the U.S. ambassador assigned to the United Nations, this past month with a call to bring in younger leaders.
“In the America I see, the permanent politician will finally retire,” stated Haley as part of a rally designed to start up her campaign. “We’ll have term limits for Congress and mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old.”
Another elder statesman who has attempted to run for president, 81-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), also issued a response to the proposal from Haley by labeling it “absurd” and calling for people to do battle against ageism.
Joe Biden has stated that he intends to make a bid for a second term but has not officially filed the paperwork to make such a decision final.
Kevin O’Connor, the official physician for the White House, has explained in a recent memo in the wake of a physical from last month that the command-in-chief “remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”
Jill Biden, a long-term teacher that has secured a Doctor of Education in educational leadership out of the University of Delaware, explained that she is “all for” another bid as she spoke to CNN.
“It’s Joe’s decision,” she explained. “And we support whatever he wants to do. If he’s in, we’re there. If he wants to do something else, we’re there too.”
