Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says President Biden is unlikely to live to the end of a second term so his backers will have to rely on Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the nation.
GOP hopefuls are weighing how far to go in attacking Mr. Biden, 80, over his age, though Mrs. Haley dived right in during an interview with Fox News.
“He announced that he’s running again in 2024, and I think that we can all be very clear and say with a matter of fact that if you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President Harris because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely,” said Mrs. Haley, the 51-year-old former governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris, 58, formally launched their reelection campaign this week, saying “MAGA” Republicans are a threat to the nation and they want to “finish the job” in pushing their agenda.
Mrs. Haley is emphasizing the need for a new generation of leaders as she takes on former President Donald Trump, 76, and the rest of the primary field. She says political leaders older than 75 should take a mental competency test.
Polls show many voters are leery of Mr. Biden’s push for a second term, given his advanced age, though the White House insists he has the vigor for another run and offered a blunt rejoinder to Mrs. Haley.
“As you know, we don’t directly respond to campaigns from here. But honestly, I forgot she was running,” deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates told NBC News.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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