Mental examinations should be performed on presidential candidates, especially at a certain age, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson told Newsmax on Monday.
Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, was asked on Newsmax's "Wake Up America" if there should be age limits for the nation's leaders after recent health scares Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
"There are plenty of elderly people who are sharp as a tack," Carson said, adding that "what we need is an objective method to determine whether in fact they are utilizing all their mental faculties appropriately."
Carson said that "we have such things; they are called mental examinations and ... they should be carried out, particularly once a person reaches a certain age."
He said that this is already "done with a whole variety of people who have jobs that are less important then president of the United States. ... If they have responsible positions, it is imperative that we know what their mental capabilities are. That's done in the corporate world; it's done in the military; its done with airplane pilots."
Reflecting on the current race for the White House, Carson, who sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, said that "there are always things that happen that are unexpected that could have an impact" on the race and close the wide advantage that former President Donald Trump currently holds over the other candidates for the Republican nomination.
But Carson also said that "the good thing is that we have the primary process that lets everyone be seen and put forth their policies," telling Newsmax that we should "let that happen, but let us also recognize that President Trump has a demonstrated record and others are trying to prove that they can do it."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.