It looks like those who acknowledged there was a problem with President Joe Biden and insisted he take a cognitive test are being increasingly validated. This is especially after last Thursday's disastrous debate performance that has the Biden reelection campaign and the Democratic Party scrambling. On Friday, Dr. Sanjay Gupta was trending over social media as he called for such a test.
"It’s time for President Biden to undergo detailed cognitive and neurological testing and share his results," read his analysis for CNN. Gupta began by referencing the debate, but there's a bigger picture to these concerns, and he's not alone in having them.
As he wrote:
For me as a brain specialist, it was concerning to watch President Joe Biden, and it quickly became clear that I was not alone in my reaction. Over the past week, I received more than a dozen calls, texts and emails from medical colleagues who, like me, specialize in the brain. It wasn’t that what we noticed was necessarily new but that it was particularly pronounced, and right from the start of the debate.
From a neurological standpoint, we were concerned with his confused rambling; sudden loss of concentration in the middle of a sentence; halting speech and absence of facial animation, resulting at times in a flat, open-mouthed expression. To be clear, these are only observations, not in any way diagnostic of something deeper, and none of these doctors wished to suggest that was the case.
The consensus from the doctors reaching out to me, however, was that the president should be encouraged to undergo detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing, and those results should be made available to the public.
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Gupta references Biden's health report from February, as well as how there's questions as to if Biden was experiencing an episode or has a condition to be concerned about. Despite such concerns, though, the White House hasn't exactly been transparent, all while claiming they have been.
As Gupta also writes towards the end:
With an election looming in November, we don’t have answers about Biden.
The White House has rejected requests from the press to release more medical records and question Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor. Biden’s press secretary said O’Connor watched the debate and had no concerns afterward.
Elected officials, like anyone else, are entitled to some level of privacy, and under federal health-care laws, there is no ability for someone to obtain personal medical information on an individual unless authorized, even the president. There is also no requirement for the president or candidates to disclose that information. Most do not. In fact, in the 23 years I have been reporting on these topics, only Sen. John McCain — one of the oldest presidential candidates in US history — shared all of his records with me and the American public.
We often hear that observing a candidate on the campaign trail is the best assessment of the individual’s physical and cognitive health. Back in 2020, Biden said he was “constantly tested” by the work of running for president. “All you’ve got to do is watch me,” he said then.
The country is watching now, and that assessment gives cause for concern — and a need for transparent testing.
When it comes to that medical exam from February 28, as Katie covered at the time, Biden didn't undergo a cognitive test because White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed he "doesn't need one." The gaslighting from this administration has been strong for a long time.
The White House has caused confusion in more ways more recently on the matter of the president's health. When meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday, Biden told them that he had been cleared by a doctor for his cold.
"White House spokesperson Andrew Bates confirmed to The Hill that Biden saw a doctor in the days after last week’s debate to check in about his cold and is now 'recovering well,'" that outlet also reported.
Jean-Pierre, however, claimed during Tuesday's press briefing that he had not seen a doctor since his February exam, and she even touted the results throughout the briefing.
Karine Jean-Pierre is having a ROUGH go of it today.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 2, 2024
Reporter: The White House physician described the president in February as "a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the president." That’s clearly not what the majority… pic.twitter.com/g0SD8gzBXn
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who is also a doctor and former White House physician, has called for Biden to take a cognitive exam. He also called for the president to take a drug test before last week's debate.
He has posted throughout Friday about concerns with Biden's conditions, which includes noting an "apology would be nice!!"
Biden’s press secretary said Dr. O’Connor watched the debate and had “NO CONCERNS” afterward.
— Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) July 5, 2024
What doctor in his right mind would not have “concerns” after watching that performance from the Leader of the Free World?
Obama emailed me after I sent this tweet in 2020.
— Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) July 5, 2024
He told me it was a “cheap shot” and that he was “disappointed.”
Even in 2020, Democrats & the media were worried Biden was cognitively compromised.
THEY’VE BEEN COVERING IT UP THE WHOLE TIME!
An apology would be nice!! https://t.co/5z8Pjcu5uO
When I was President Trump's White House physician, I was ALWAYS available to the press. I stood up at the podium for HOURS answering questions about Trump's health. Where is Dr. O'Connor? Why has he NEVER done this?
— Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) July 5, 2024
Biden's cognitive decline has been COVERED UP for YEARS. The…
Former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), who was at one point running in the Republican primary to face Biden in November has also long raised concerns about the president's fitness. In fact, she long maintained that she believed she'd be running against Vice President Kamala Harris.
She dropped out of the race after Super Tuesday in March and has since said she will vote for former and potentially future President Donald Trump.
Better late than never. My call for competency tests was not a joke. The American people deserve answers. https://t.co/P7NJf5O4YP
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) July 5, 2024
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