Social media frenzy about GOP congresswoman living in retirement facility: 'Compelling case for term limits'

The news that Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, has been living in a retirement facility and experiencing a "very rapid" decline set off a social media outcry this week across the political spectrum. 

Among these voices included billionaire Elon Musk, a key adviser and supporter of President-elect Donald Trump.

"Maybe we should have some basic cognitive test for elected officials? This is getting crazy …" Musk said, in reference to the news about Granger. 

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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," Morabito shared on X. 

Former Texas state representative Jonathan Stickland also commented about Granger, expressing that he was aware 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 has 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 mad at them. Praying for peace for Rep. Granger," Stickland posted.

Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee said the news about Granger marked a "compelling case for term limits." 

Granger’s absence was first reported by the Dallas Express on Friday, which quoted a constituent of her district who said she was residing in a memory care facility in Texas.

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Axios political reporter Hans Nichols admitted to missing the story about Granger due to limited resources for journalists on CNN 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 that spends some time on the Hill. You know, collectively we’re all guilty. Like, you know, individually, it’s hard to parse out guilt," Nichols said. 

The Granger story comes after a year that was defined by President Biden's cognitive and mental fitness issues that ultimately led to him being forced out of the Democratic nomination. Reports have emerged of a coordinated effort to conceal his diminishment from the public.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who repeatedly dismissed questions about Biden's ability to serve, told CNN in June 2022 that she herself 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."

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Executive director for Women for America First, Kylie Jane Kremer, 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." 

Members of Biden's staff noticed his fading stamina and increasing confusion within the first few months of his term, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. 

The Journal based its report on interviews with nearly 50 people, including current and former White House staffers who interacted directly with the president, as well as lawmakers.

California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said on X that 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," Khann posted. 

Progressive independent journalist Ken Klippenstein posted in reference to a video of Granger speaking on the House floor, 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," Klippenstein shared.

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Granger, who is 81, did not seek re-election and is retiring at the end of this congressional term next month. She has largely remained absent from the Capitol in recent months, having last cast a vote on July 24. She was not present for over 54% of votes this year. She also stepped down from her position within the House Appropriations Committee, which drafts the bills that fund the federal government.

Granger's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

Fox News' Hanna Panreck, Anders Hagstrom, Stephen Sorace and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.