Tipsheet

Elon Musk Says No One Over 70 Years Old Should Be in Office

On Thursday, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk said on Twitter that no one exceeding 70 years old should be allowed to be in office.

“Let’s set an age limit after which you can’t run for political office, perhaps a number just below 70…” he wrote. He did not name any politician by name.

As reported by The Hill, Musk has been involved in several public disagreements with Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT). Sanders is 80 years old and has been in office since 2007. Before that, he served in Congress from 1991 to 2007.

Last month, in a tweet, Sanders said “[we] must demand that the extremely wealthy pay their fair share. Period.” 

Musk replied, saying “I keep forgetting you’re still alive” and a follow-up, saying “[w]ant me to sell more stock, Bernie? Just say the word…”

“Bernie is a taker, not a maker,” Musk added.

Last month, former South Carolina governor and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview that political leaders who are of advanced age should undergo a “cognitive test,” as I covered.

“[We] seriously need to have a conversation that if you’re going to have anyone above a certain age in a position of power – whether it’s the House, whether it’s the Senate, whether it’s vice president – you should have some sort of cognitive test,” Haley said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network.

“Right now, let’s face it. We’ve got a lot of people in leadership positions that are old. And that’s not being disrespectful. That’s a fact,” Haley continued. “When it comes to that, this shouldn’t be partisan. We should seriously be looking at the ages of the people that are running our country and understand if that’s what we want.”