US presidential hopeful says Senate a 'nursing home'

Republican statesmanlike campaigner Nikki Haley is again calling for "mental competency tests" for aging US leaders, aft Senator Mitch McConnell froze up astatine a quality league again.

"The Senate is the astir privileged nursing location successful the country," Ms Haley told Fox News.

Mr McConnell, 81, stared into abstraction for much than 30 seconds erstwhile asked this week if helium would tally for re-election.

A doc has medically cleared him to work. He had a akin lapse successful July.

Mr McConnell has led the Senate Republicans since 2006 and has built a estimation arsenic a ruthless governmental tactician who keeps his enactment rank-and-file successful line.

Members of the Kentucky senator's caucus person not publically questioned his quality to lead, though they person the enactment to telephone a gathering to sermon the substance erstwhile the Senate returns to Washington adjacent week.

Ms Haley, a erstwhile UN Ambassador and South Carolina governor, is the astir elder Republican to talk retired astir Mr McConnell's wellness concerns.

She told Fox News connected Friday: "I mean, Mitch McConnell has done immoderate large things and helium deserves credit. But you person to cognize erstwhile to leave."

Ms Haley, 51, has focused her statesmanlike run connected the statement that America needs a caller procreation of leaders. The mean property for members of the US Senate is 65.

"I deliberation that we bash request intelligence competency tests for anyone implicit the property of 75, I wouldn't attraction if they did them implicit the property of 50," she said.

"It's sad," she told Fox. "No-one should consciousness bully astir seeing that immoderate much than we should consciousness bully astir seeing [90-year-old California Senator] Dianne Feinstein, immoderate much than we should consciousness bully astir a batch of what's happening oregon seeing Joe Biden's decline."

During Wednesday's property lawsuit successful Covington, Kentucky, Mr McConnell was incapable to reply questions, which had to beryllium repeated by staff.

The legislator suffered from a concussion aft falling astatine an lawsuit successful March, according to staff.

Brian Monahan, the attending doc of the US Congress, said connected Thursday helium had consulted with Mr McConnell and his neurology team.

Dr Monahan said successful a connection connected Thursday: "Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon successful concussion betterment and tin besides beryllium expected arsenic a effect of dehydration."

Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote successful a societal media station connected Thursday that Mr McConnell was "not acceptable for office".

"Severe aging wellness issues and/or intelligence wellness incompetence successful our nation's leaders MUST beryllium addressed," Ms Greene said, besides mentioning the property of US President Biden, who is 80.

Democratic congressman Dean Phillips called connected societal media for word limits for members of Congress and the Supreme Court.

President Biden said connected Thursday helium did not person immoderate concerns astir whether Mr McConnell was acceptable to bash his job.

"He's a friend," Mr Biden told reporters successful Washington DC, "and I spoke to him today. And you know, helium was his aged aforesaid connected the telephone."