WASHINGTON   -   Donald Trump on Saturday said he feels “sharper now than I did 20 years ago,” reacting to recent attacks on his age and verbal gaffes by Republican presidential rival Nikki Haley. Trump also said presidential candidates should have to take a cognitive test, apparently a response to a challenge from Haley, who has advocated the same policy, citing the age of Trump, 77, and Democratic President Joe Biden, 81. Trump was speaking at a rally in Ne­vada, ahead of the next vote in the Republican presidential nominating race, a caucus in the state on Feb. 8. In recent days Haley has accused former Republican President Trump of being confused and has questioned his ability to be president at his age. Trump has re­cently made some verbal slip-ups. During a speech on Jan. 19 he confused Haley with former Dem­ocratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. On occa­sion he has appeared to slur his words and he also suggested former Demo­cratic President Barack Obama was still in office. Trump is almost assured of all of Nevada’s 26 del­egates because Haley is not competing in the caucus. He attacked both Haley and Biden, trying to knock Haley out of the Re­publican nominating fight while scoring early points in a likely general elec­tion rematch with Biden in November. Trump’s back-to-back wins in the Iowa and New Hamp­shire Republican contests have all but assured him his party’s White House nomination. But he is in­furiated that Haley, his last remaining Republi­can rival, has refused to drop out. Trump and his allies have begun a cam­paign to force Haley out of the race before the next major vote in the primary race, in her home state of South Carolina on Feb. 24. Trump has threatened to banish from his politi­cal orbit any donors who continue to fund Haley. Haley has pledged to keep campaigning in South Carolina and beyond. Shortly after Trump’s speech, Haley appeared at a rally in South Caroli­na. She again said Trump had recently appeared “confused”, and said if he wants to take a cognitive test, “he should have no problem getting on a de­bate stage with me, be­cause that’s the ultimate mental competency test for anyone running for president.”