Nikki Haley calls Senate the ‘most privileged nursing home’ in US after McConnell freeze
by Misty Severi, Breaking News Reporter
September 01, 2023 11:13 AM
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley slammed the Senate on Thursday, referring to it as the “most privileged nursing home in the country” after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) froze during a news conference on Wednesday.
Haley said while McConnell has done well leading the Republican Party in the Senate in his nearly four decades in the upper chamber, it was time for him to step away after he had his second recent health scare.
“No one should feel good about seeing that any more than we should feel good about seeing [Sen.] Dianne Feinstein, any more than we should feel good about a lot of what’s happening or seeing [President] Joe Biden’s decline,” Haley told Fox News. “What I will say is, right now, the Senate is the most privileged nursing home in the country. I mean, Mitch McConnell has done some great things, and he deserves credit, but you have to know when to leave.”
McConnell appeared to have difficulty speaking during a press conference in Kentucky on Wednesday, where he visibly froze up while taking questions from reporters, the second such incident this summer.
McConnell has since been cleared to resume his duties in the Senate by the attending physician for Congress, Dr. Brian Monahan. The physician claimed the dizzy spell from McConnell was not unusual for people recovering from a concussion or for those who are dehydrated.
“I have consulted with Leader McConnell and conferred with his neurology team. After evaluating yesterday’s incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned,” Monahan wrote in a note Thursday.
Haley also pushed for her mental competency tests on government officials and members of Congress who are over the age of 75. Haley has repeatedly called for the competency tests on the campaign trail, but some conservative opponents claimed voters should be able to determine whether someone has the mental capacity to lead the country.
“I think that we do need mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75. I wouldn’t care if they did them over the age of 50,” Haley said. “But these are people making decisions on our national security. They’re making decisions on our economy, on the border. We need to know they’re at the top of their game.”
If a mental competency test is required for those over the age of 75, Biden and former President Donald Trump would both be required to take the exam.