Nikki Haley on McConnell: 'We’ve got to have a new generation'

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a 2024 GOP candidate, shared her thoughts Sunday on U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Kentucky) recent health scare and whether the longtime Republican leader should maintain his role, The Messenger reports.

For nearly 20 seconds, the 81-year-old senator suddenly froze mid-sentence during a news conference earlier this week, before eventually returning about ten minutes later to resume interview.

Despite colleagues' concerns around whether the GOP leader should resign, a spokesperson for McConnell told Politico said he "plans to serve his full term in the job they overwhelmingly elected him to do."

READ MORE: Mitch McConnell has tripped and fallen at least 3 times this year — only one was reported

Lauding the senator as "a great leader," Haley told Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan Sunday, "We've got to stop electing people because they look good in a picture or they hold a baby well. We've got to stop electing people because we like them and they've been there a long time. That's actually the problem."

Haley went on to say, "We've got to have a new generation."

The 2024 Republican hopeful was reiterating her statement made during a major Iowa GOP fundraising event last month: "It's time for a new-generation leader. We've got to leave the baggage of the negativity behind," Haley said.

READ MORE: Mitch McConnell vows to 'serve his full term' despite health scares: report

The Messenger's full report is available at this link.