(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are trading barbs in the Palmetto State ahead of the Republican presidential primary.
In a rally Saturday, Haley handed out mental competency tests, mocking Trump and President Joe Biden as age continues to be a sticking point in the 2024 election.
The tests included questions like identifying animals and drawing a clock, but Haley says she hasn’t taken the test herself.
“I haven’t taken it. I’m happy to take it. I don’t care if people take it 50 up. I’ll tell you, these are basic things,” Haley said. “Congress is the most privileged nursing home in the country. The party that dismisses their 80-year-old candidates is the party that will win president, without a doubt.”
Haley kicked off a bus tour this weekend, making at least 30 stops throughout the state ahead of the primary.
NewsNation’s Emily Finn gave a copy of the test to voters at Myrtle Beach to see if they could meet the standard Haley is calling for.
“I’m 72, I’m younger than both of them, and I can feel the effects (of aging),” one voter said.
Meanwhile, Trump launched fresh attacks against Haley, including suggesting her husband deployed overseas to escape her. Michael Haley deployed with the South Carolina National Guard last year.
Trump is now back in his Florida home of Mar-a-Lago after he held a massive event in South Carolina. With the state’s primary less than two weeks away, Trump maintains a double-digit lead over Haley in polling.
“You know what, she’s got like 12%, I don’t think Nikki would pass the test. I really know. Nikki may have started her career in South Carolina, but she’s now 100% the candidate of Wall Street,” Trump said during his rally.
While the Republican candidates spar over their mental fitness, they both agree Biden is the least mentally mentally competent to serve in the White House.