The news that GOP Representative Kay Granger of Texas has been living in a retirement facility and experiencing a “very rapid” decline sparked a social media outcry this week across the political spectrum.
Among these voices included billionaire Elon Musk, a crucial adviser and supporter of President-elect Donald Trump.
“Maybe we should have some basic cognitive test for elected officials? This is getting crazy …” said Musk, referencing the news about Granger.
Former Department of Education press secretary Angela Morabito said Granger’s staff was possibly “complicit.”
“WOW: Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), who hasn’t voted on a bill in six months, has been living in a nursing home in secret. Records show she has a staff of 25. If any of them knew — and it would be hard not to know — they are complicit,” said Morabito on X.
Former Texas state representative Jonathan Stickland also commented on Granger, expressing his awareness of her memory issues.
“No one should be mad at Rep. Kay Granger. Six years ago (as an elected official who worked regularly with/around her), it was obvious she had serious memory issues. She had no idea what was going on for a while, yet her friends, family, and staff lied to her. They failed to protect her and left her in office for their own benefit. Be made at them. Praying for peace for Rep. Granger,” posted Stickland.
Utah GOP Senator Mike Lee said the news about Granger marked a “compelling case for term limits.”
Granger’s absence was first reported Friday by the Dallas Express, which quoted a constituent of her district who said she was living in a memory care facility in Texas.
An Axios political reporter, Hans Nichols, admitted to missing the story about Granger because of limited resources for journalists on CNN on Monday.
“[We}…have limited resources and limited time to report all these stories out. That said, we should have gotten the Kay Granger story. I mean, I’ll own part of that as someone who spends some time on the Hill. You know, collectively, we’re all guilty. Like, you know, individually, it’s hard to parse out guilt,” said Nichols.
The Granger story comes after a year that was defined by President Joe Biden’s mental and cognitive fitness issues, which ultimately led to his being forced out of the Democratic nomination. Reports have arisen of a coordinated effort to conceal his public diminishment.
White House dismissed concerns about President Biden
Karine Jean-Pierre, White House Press Secretary, who repeatedly dismissed questions about President Biden’s ability to serve, told CNN in June 2022 that she had a hard time keeping up with the president.
“Don, you’re asking me this question,” a visibly stunned Jean-Pierre exclaimed. “Oh my gosh. He’s the President of the United States.”
Kylie Jane Kremer, executive director for Women for America First, wrote on X, “Not just leadership but all colleagues that were aware. Just as we are outraged about Biden, there should be equal outrage about Kay Granger.”
According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Biden’s staff noticed his increasing confusion and fading stamina within the first few months of his term.
The Journal based its report on interviews with almost 50 people, including former and current White House staffers who directly interacted with the president and legislators.
Ro Khanna, California Democratic Representative, said on X that Congress had a “sclerotic gerontocracy.”
“Kay Granger’s long absence reveals the problem with a Congress that rewards seniority & relationships more than merit & ideas. We have a sclerotic gerontocracy. We need term limits. We need to get big money out of politics so a new generation of Americans can run and serve,” posted Khanna.
Ken Klippenstein, a progressive independent journalist, posted about a video of Granger speaking on the floor of the House earlier in 2024.
“The claim that no one knew about congresswoman Kay Granger’s dementia is laughable. Here she is speaking before Congress back in March, stammering and stumbling over every sentence while relying verbatim on a written script. This is painful to watch,” shared Klippenstein.
Granger, 81, didn’t seek re-election and will retire at the end of next month’s congressional term. She has remained largely absent from the Capitol in recent months, having last cast a vote on July 24. She wasn’t present for over 54% of votes this year. She additionally stepped down from her position in the House Appropriations Committee, which drafts the legislation that funds the federal government.
