Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent called on Friday for President Joe Biden to undergo detailed cognitive and neurological testing and share his results.
Dr Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, noted in an op-ed for the cable news network Biden's halting speech, confused rambling, loss of concentration, stiff gait, and lack of facial animation during his disastrous debate performance June 27 against former President Donald Trump.
"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 noted that in Biden's most recent physical exam in February, the White House said a team of 20 doctors, including a neurologist, participated in completing his exam. An "extremely detailed" neurologic exam found nothing consistent with neurological disorders, Gupta wrote, and also found no evidence of Parkinson's disease that might explain his stiff gait and decreased expression in his face during the debate. But no cognitive testing was done.
He wrote detailed testing can help determine whether there is a simpler explanation for the symptoms Biden displayed during the debate or if there is something more concerning.
"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.
The White House has rejected media requests to release more medical records and question Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre 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," 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."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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