Nikki Haley gets pilloried for her glaring error and 'hypocrisy' in calling for politicians' cognitive tests

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) is facing criticism for her latest suggestion which suggests a glaring double standard. Speaking to Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody, Haley was asked about 78-year-old President Joe Biden's mental health.

The 49-year-old, who is also the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, expressed concern as she suggested that a provision should be introduced to require older elected officials to undergo cognitive testing to ensure they are competent enough to hold office.

"Well what I'll tell you is, rather than making this about a person, we seriously need to have a conversation that if you're gonna have anyone above a certain age in a position of power — whether it's the House, whether it's the Senate, whether it's vice president, whether it's president — you should have some sort of cognitive test," Haley said. "Just like you have to show your tax returns."

The problem, of course, as many observers pointed out, is that there isn't such a universal requirement for officials to release their tax returns. There has been a norm since Richard Nixon that presidents and vice presidents voluntarily released their tax returns in the name of transparency. But despite pledging to do so, former President Donald Trump, who Haley served under, infamously never released his returns.

"And right now, let's face it, we've got a lot of people in leadership positions that are old. And that's not being disrespectful. That's a fact," Haley added. "And when it comes to that, this shouldn't be partisan. We should seriously be looking at the ages of the people that are running our country and understand if that's what we want."

Haley quickly prompted a tidal wave of reactions as many Twitter users quickly pointed out her error and "hypocrisy." While some noted that she didn't have the same concerns about former President Donald Trump, others also reminded her that he still has yet to disclose his tax returns.