The White House asserted that President Joe Biden does not require a cognitive test and acknowledged that he did not take one as part of his yearly physical assessment. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed the need for a cognitive assessment and emphasized the 81-year-old president’s accomplishments in response to questions about his suitability for a second term. The Department of Justice described Biden as a “elderly man with a poor memory” in a report about his improper handling of sensitive documents, yet this position was upheld.
Jean-Pierre underlined that a neurologist on Biden’s medical team does not believe a cognitive test is necessary. She went on to say that Biden’s everyday work as president successfully displays his cognitive talents. Twenty physicians, including the White House physician, participated in the checkup at Walter Reed and evaluated the president’s overall health.
In response to questions on why, given the scrutiny, the test should not just be conducted, the press secretary reiterated that the medical team’s opinion did not support this decision. She also brought up the fact that Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor of the White House, was not present in the briefing room, pointing out that it is not customary for medical professionals to discuss the president’s health in this manner and hoping to get things back to what she calls the normal.
After his physical test, Biden joked that his physicians felt he looked “too young”. He reassured reporters that his health is the same as it was the year before, notwithstanding the public debate about his suitability for a prospective second term. Dr. O’Connor’s evaluation from the previous year deemed Biden “fit for duty,” although ongoing polling indicates that most Americans have concerns about Biden’s ability to lead the country should he be elected to a second term that ends when he is 86 years old.