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Ronald Reagan’s daughter Patti Davis said she thinks cognitive tests for sitting presidents would “probably be a good idea” on Sunday.
Asked by NBC Meet the Press’ Kristen Welker about the issue of age in the upcoming presidential election, Davis supported the idea of testing the mental acuity of aging presidents like Joe Biden, who is 81. “Just what we know about what age can do—it doesn’t always do that—but it would probably be a good idea,” she said.
“My father was 77 when he left office. That seems so young now, doesn’t it?” she added. Reagan, at 69, was the oldest president ever elected at the time he took office. Biden and former president Donald Trump have both dwarfed that record; Trump will be 78 on inauguration in 2025 if he wins this year, and Biden will be 82.