Haley continues to advocate for term limits, mental competency tests

This is a joint project between Nexstar Media Group and Syracuse University.

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – As the New Hampshire primary approaches, both President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump continue to solidify their positions as the presumptive nominee — though many voters are concerned that both men are too old to be President.

Biden, 81, and Trump, 77, would both be the oldest men ever elected to the presidency if they secure victory in November, with some voters concerned that an older president would bring instability to the office, as well as poor policy making. As a result, Republican candidate Nikki Haley has made it her mission to discredit her competitors based on their age, while questioning their mental competency.

“Right now, Congress has become one of the most privileged nursing homes in the country,” said Haley during her Saturday rally.

Haley’s policy propositions include mental competency tests over the age of 75, as well as the Haley Term Limits Pledge.

“Everyone, when they file for office, incumbent or otherwise, has the option to either sign the term limit pledge or not,” said Haley in Thursday’s CNN Town Hall.

Despite overwhelming support for term limits and age limits, in 1995 the Supreme Court ruled that such legislation was unconstitutional, as it limited the candidate pool. As such, if Haley secured a presidential victory, she would need to propose a constitutional amendment – requiring two-thirds of Congress to support it.

Despite the glaring obstacles, during her campaign across New Hampshire Haley has been outspoken about her support for congressional term limits due to concerns that President Biden’s mental and physical health is diminishing.

Edward Hughes, 58, attended Haley’s rally on Saturday, and agreed with the former governor’s stance.

“In a country of 300 million people, are we really relying on people who are 70, 80 years old to make decisions for us?” he said.

However, some Haley supporters were concerned with her policies, citing them as too restrictive and potentially discriminatory towards older politicians.

Jennefer Grene is an undeclared voter who was similarly concerned about cognitive decline, specifically for members of Congress who have stayed in office for years. Conversely, she expressed concerns about the policy being too stringent on candidates running for office.

“I suppose in some ways it could be considered ageist,” Grene said. “We don’t put up limits for other things.”

Eden Stratton is a senior Journalism and Political Science student at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and has interned with the War Horse and the USA Today Network.

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