Nikki Haley has said 65 Is 'way too low' for retirement age, per Bloomberg.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley endorsed an increase in the retirement age linked to life expectancy as a strategy to address the escalating US government debt. This statement followed her notable performance in the initial GOP debate.
In an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday, the former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina governor proposed, "We change the retirement age to reflect life expectancy instead of cost-of-living increases. We do it based on inflation. We limit benefits for the wealthy, and we expand Medicare Advantage plans."
The current age for full retirement benefits is 67 for individuals born in 1960 or later, but Haley did not specify the preferred age under her proposal.
In a distinctive move, Haley held her own party accountable for contributing to the mounting federal debt, criticizing her fellow contenders, including former President Donald Trump, for failing to be forthright with the American people. She highlighted, "You’ve got multiple candidates on that stage that said they wouldn’t touch entitlements. Any candidate that says they’re not going to touch entitlements means that they’re basically going to go into office and then leave America bankrupt."
Emphasizing her foreign policy expertise, Haley mentioned that Trump "used to have it right" on Russia during her tenure in his administration but has since "backtracked now and is going into where he’s weak in the knees." She underscored the importance of continued support for Ukraine and advocated for the expansion of NATO, pointing out that Russia had not invaded any country that was a member of the alliance. She stressed the need for more allies.
Haley, 51, previously expressed willingness to explore measures such as terminating normal trade relations with China over the fentanyl crisis, restricting the purchase of Chinese-made drones by the US, banning TikTok and WeChat, halting technology exports to China, and limiting China's acquisition of US land. Additionally, she called for strengthening the US-Taiwan relationship.
Positioning herself as a representative of a new generation of conservative leadership, Haley advocated for mandatory mental competency tests for politicians aged 75 and above, a group that includes both Trump and President Joe Biden, 80. She asserted her belief in winning the primary and the need for a fresh generational conservative leader to address pressing issues. She urged a shift away from past negativity and a focus on solving real problems.
