Fox News' Tucker Carlson has declared Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders' bid to be "over" after the senator suffered a health scare Wednesday.
Carlson suggested Sanders' age did not make him an ideal candidate to run for top office—making no mention of 73-year-old President Donald Trump's own advancing years.
"There are some older people and that fact is having a big effect on the presidential race all of a sudden, there are already a lot of real questions about Joe Biden's fitness for office—forgetting stuff, saying weird things. Now Senator Bernie Sanders has suspended his campaign after he underwent emergency surgery for blocked arteries today," Carlson said on his show Wednesday.
"It's interesting we haven't talked about this openly. All of us want to be polite, it's a good impulse, but he's not the only one who is of advanced age in this race," he added. "Statistically speaking it's tough to pull off a presidential campaign, much less running the most powerful country in the world at that age. I guess we are not allowed to say that. I'm 50 and I feel myself slowing down. So, are we going to have an honest conversation about this at some point and continue to pretend that 78 is just like 38?"
Sanders experienced chest pain on Tuesday and was taken to hospital and treated for an arterial blockage, the BBC reported, having two stents put in. He later tweeted that he was recovering.
"Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm feeling good. I'm fortunate to have good health care and great doctors and nurses helping me to recover," he tweeted.
None of us know when a medical emergency might affect us. And no one should fear going bankrupt if it occurs. Medicare for All!"
Carlson then suggested Sanders' campaign would find it hard to recover from the health scare. "Not being mean, it's done, it's over," he said.
Fitness for office was raised during the 2016 presidential election, with Trump questioning whether his opponent Hillary Clinton had the stamina to be commander-in-chief. Both candidates released statements from their doctors confirming their physical fitness.
Trump's statement from his doctor, which proclaimed he would be the healthiest president ever, was later revealed to have been written by Trump himself.
"His physical strength and stamina are extraordinary," the letter, purportedly by Trump's former doctor Harold Bornstein said. Bornstein later claimed the letter was dictated to him by Trump.
"Mr Trump has suffered no form of cancer, has never had a hip, knee or shoulder replacement or any other orthopaedic surgery. His only surgery was an appendectomy at age ten. His cardiovascular status is excellent. He has no history of ever using alcohol or tobacco products.
"If elected, Mr Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency," the letter concluded.
