Reagan’s daughter Patti Davis says US ‘probably’ should have cognitive tests for presidential candidates

Patti Davis, daughter of former President Ronald Reagan, said in an interview aired Sunday that the United States should “probably” administer cognitive tests to presidential candidates.

Asked in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether he thought people running for the nation’s highest office should undergo cognitive tests, Davis said, “I probably do.”

“Yeah. I mean, that’s about as much as we know about what age can do. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s probably a good idea,” she continued. “My father was 77 years old when he retired after two terms. He looks very young now, doesn’t he?”

President Biden, now 81, was 77 when he was elected to his first term and 78 when he was sworn into office. Former President Trump, who is currently 77 years old, took office at the age of 70, breaking President Ronald Reagan’s record for being the oldest person to hold office. to become president. In 2020, Biden broke Trump’s record.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump are currently the front-runners for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, and if elected, both would be in their 80s by the end of their terms. With an octogenarian likely to become the next president, Americans are paying more attention to the role age plays in a candidate’s campaign and presidential performance.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is the last candidate to challenge Trump in the Republican primary, and she has capitalized on her relatively young age of 52 throughout her campaign. She has long called for term limits and mental competency testing.

In an interview, Davis referenced Reagan’s role in ending the Cold War, saying, “I mean, this guy wasn’t, you know, age-broken.”

“I mean, yeah, I thought maybe he was older because he was my father, and we think that about parents. But, you know, we… “But not in the way we’re talking about right now,” she said.

President Reagan developed Alzheimer’s disease in 1994. There is also speculation among staff. And reporters said his symptoms began several years ago, but his doctors and publicists denied this.

But as recent investigative reporting has shown, White House officials have expressed concerns about the president’s caution and behavior, and some aides have even raised the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment. , the suggestion was quickly rejected by the chief of staff. to history channel.