OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A longtime ally of President Joe Biden and his party has come out on the side of many Republicans and is now calling on President Joe Biden to take a cognitive exam and release the results to the public like then-President Donald Trump did when he was still in office.
On Friday, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, recommended that the president undergo comprehensive cognitive and neurological testing in an op-ed published on the network’s website.
Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, expressed concerns about Biden’s physical and mental condition following his debate with Trump last week. In his observations, Gupta pointed out Biden’s halting speech, confused statements, lack of concentration, rigid movement, and diminished facial expressions.
“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,” Gupta wrote. “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.”
Gupta referenced Biden’s most recent physical exam in February, conducted by a team of 20 doctors led by current White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor, including a neurologist. This “extremely detailed” neurological exam showed no signs of neurological disorders nor evidence of Parkinson’s disease, which might have accounted for Biden’s stiff gait and reduced facial expressions noted during his debate.
However, Gupta pointed out in his op-ed that no cognitive testing was performed at the time. He suggested that comprehensive testing is necessary to determine whether there is a straightforward explanation for Biden’s symptoms during the debate or if there is a more serious underlying issue.
“As a doctor, I would want to understand the possibility of underlying dementia because, over the past several years, we have learned that there are medical treatments and lifestyle changes that can delay and, in some cases, even reverse the symptoms of the disease,” Gupta wrote. “These are hopeful days when it comes to dementia, and early diagnosis and treatment is better than it has ever been.”
“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,” Gupta wrote. “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 [the late senator was 72 when he ran in 2008] — 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.”
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), a former White House physician who has long called for Biden to be cognitively tested, reacted to O’Connor’s response to Biden’s debate performance in an X post.
“Biden’s press secretary said Dr. O’Connor watched the debate and had ‘NO CONCERNS’ afterward. What doctor in his right mind would not have ‘concerns’ after watching that performance from the Leader of the Free World?” he wrote.
He added in another post: “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? Biden’s cognitive decline has been COVERED UP for YEARS. The truth is finally getting out.”
