CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a brain surgeon, described President Biden’s debate performance as “concerning” from a medical perspective, urging the president to undergo cognitive and neurological testing in an op-ed published Friday.
Gupta noted he wasn’t alone in his concern, sharing that he received “more than a dozen calls, texts, and emails from medical colleagues” after 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,” he wrote.
Campaign aides quickly attributed the president’s debate struggles to a cold.
Nearly a week later, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added that Biden had jet lag from recent overseas trips.
While Gupta did not directly challenge the White House’s explanations, he questioned Jean-Pierre’s statement that cognitive tests were deemed “not necessary” by the president’s medical team.
“There are definitely aspects of cognition that decline as we age — especially fluid abilities like processing speed, attention span, and memory. This is normal and expected and doesn’t necessarily stand in the way of someone’s ability to do their job,” he wrote.
“But for a minority of us, that decline is steeper and can lead to dementia.”
Gupta pointed out risk factors for cognitive decline in both former President Trump’s and Biden’s medical histories, including Biden’s experience with brain aneurysms and Trump’s father passing from Alzheimer’s disease at 93.
The Biden administration has consistently rejected requests from the press to release the president’s medical records.
“We often hear that observing a candidate on the campaign trail is the best assessment of the individual’s physical and cognitive health,” Gupta wrote.
“The country is watching now, and that assessment gives cause for concern — and a need for transparent testing.”
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former medical adviser to both Trump and Biden, cautioned against diagnosing Biden based solely on the debate.
However, he expressed confidence in Biden’s ability to continue serving as president.
“Did he have a bad cold, you know? Did he take an antihistamine to make him, you know, groggy, or what have you? We don’t know what went on,” Fauci said regarding the debate.
“And I think it would be unfair and inappropriate to try and diagnose something from just a 90-minute clip.”
The real issue is that Americans aren’t asking for a formal diagnosis. If you woke up and your legs wouldn’t move, you don’t need to know the exact condition causing the paralysis to know something is wrong.
Similarly, Americans saw something concerning in Biden’s performance, and instead of getting clear answers, they’re left with more questions.
Stay tuned to Silent Majority Report.
