Don Lemon Insists Nikki Haley "Isn't In Her Prime" Because She's Not In Her 20s, 30s, Or 40s Anymore
There's always much discussion about who will run in the presidential race in 2024. Nikki Haley has thrown her hat into the ring, but CNN host Don Lemon says she's not in her prime anymore because she's above 50.
Many people, whether it's citizens or journalists or experts, are concerned about the mental state of President Joe Biden. He has shown many times on camera that he loses his train of thought, gets lost in a room full of people, and often slurs over his speech or says incoherent things. Even people who voted for him have been noticing that his mental fitness isn't what it used to be. Nikki Haley, 51, is a contender for the 2024 presidential race, and she recently suggested that politicians over the age of 75 should take mental competency tests, which doesn't really sound like much of a demand when you consider how important it is for politicians to be mentally sound. But CNN host Don Lemon insists that she has no place asking for this because she's apparently well past her prime.
Don Lemon Insists Nikki Haley "Isn't in Her Prime" Because She's Not in Her 20s, 30s, or 40s Anymore
Age is certainly a factor to consider when you're thinking about who to vote for in the 2024 presidential race. There is a minimum age to run for president (35 years old), but there is no maximum age; in fact, Biden is the oldest American president in history. He was 78 years old when he was inaugurated. Haley wants to ensure that all politicians are mentally fit to lead the country, but when she brought up the idea of mental competency tests, Lemon said on a CNN program that she's well past her prime, so she has no right to make this suggestion.
He said the whole conversation about age makes him "uncomfortable." He added, "Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. Sorry, when a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, and 30s, and maybe 40s…"
"It depends, just like 'prime,' if you look it up. If you Google it, when is a woman in her prime, it'll say 20s, 30s and 40s," he continued. "I’m not saying I agree with that. I think she has to be careful about saying that, you know, politicians are in their prime."
"Are you talking about prime for like child bearing?" anchor Poppy Harlow responded.
"Don’t shoot the messenger! I’m just saying what the facts are! Google it!" he said.
The two women on camera with him were visibly uncomfortable with the suggestion that a woman is past her intellectual prime. When Harlow asked Lemon to confirm whether he was talking about childbearing capabilities or being in her prime for the presidency, he didn't give a straight answer. When he said that women are no longer in their prime past 20s, 30s, or maybe 40s, Harlow responded with a smirk, "I've got another decade left."
The ironic thing about this whole exchange is that if Haley were running for president in her late 30s or early 40s, she would probably be criticized for having small children while trying to run a country. Either way, it's a losing game when it comes to age. You're either too young or too old, and there's never really an age that your opponents will agree is appropriate to run for president. It's also worth noting that Lemon has been a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton, and she was 69 years old when she ran for president in 2016.
The backlash has been strong toward Lemon. Even mainstream publications that are left-leaning are calling his comments offensive and insulting, noting that Lemon just can't seem to help himself when it comes to upsetting people, particularly women.