Bernie Sanders Outraged Nikki Haley Wants Him to Take a Proficiency Test

Senator Bernie Sanders hit back at Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley on Sunday for her suggestion that older lawmakers be required to pass a “proficiency test.”

Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and United Nations ambassador under former President Donald Trump, said she was running for president in 2024 last Tuesday, a move long overdue. She is so far the only major declared GOP candidate, aside from Trump, who is seeking a second term.

While Haley, 51, has been criticized for her apparent reluctance to differentiate herself as a candidate from her former boss, one idea she has brought to the forefront of her campaign is the need for new, younger voices in policy. The idea comes amid great public concern about Trump and President Joe Biden as leaders due to their ages, 76 and 80 respectively. As part of this campaign theme, Haley proposed mandatory mental competency tests for lawmakers over 75.

Sanders, the 81-year-old independent from Vermont, appeared on CBS News Confront the Nation Sunday, where host Margaret Brennan asked for his opinion on the proposal, given that it would apply to him. The senator initially reacted to the question with humor, pretending not to understand the question, but ultimately dismissed the idea as “absurd”.

“We’re fighting racism, we’re fighting sexism, we’re fighting homophobia, I think we should be fighting ageism as well,” Sanders said. “Trust people, look at people and say ‘this person is competent, this person is not competent.’ There are a lot of 40-year-olds who aren’t particularly competent. You look at the individual, I don’t think you’re making a general statement.”

Sanders continued when asked if he specifically sees age as an issue compared to Biden or Trump: “Look at what they do, what they believe in. What are they fighting for? Donald Trump? Do you believe this “I certainly don’t. What does Joe Biden represent? What is he doing? Did he accomplish it? Look at him that way, not in terms of his age.”

Newsweek contacted Haley’s campaign for comment.

Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist, is the longest-serving independent legislator in U.S. Congressional history, having first served as Vermont’s at-large representative from 1991 to 2007, and serving as a state senator. since 2007.

He garnered significant national attention during two presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020, during which he sought the nomination from the Democratic Party. Despite hesitation from the party establishment, he finished second in every primary race, behind Hillary Clinton and Biden, respectively. He is currently Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and is considered a leading figure in the American progressive political movement.