Obama's Former WH Physician Advocates for Cognitive Testing for President Biden

Former President Barack Obama's onetime White House physician, Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, has raised new questions regarding the adequacy of health evaluations given to President Joe Biden during his tenure, suggesting that a comprehensive cognitive test should have been administered due to Biden’s advanced age. Kuhlman, who served as White House physician during the Obama administration, indicated in a recent interview that Dr. Kevin O’Connor—Biden’s personal doctor and current White House physician—missed a critical opportunity to fully assess Biden’s mental fitness as he entered the final year of his presidency.

O’Connor, appointed as Biden’s physician in 2009, publicly declared in a 2024 health summary that the then-81-year-old president was “fit for duty.” However, the report notably omitted any mention of neurocognitive evaluation, a point criticized by Kuhlman. "Sometimes those closest to the tree miss the forest," Kuhlman commented, emphasizing that presidential health assessments should extend beyond physical well-being to include evaluations of mental agility and emotional resilience. “Fitness is: Do you have that robust mind, body, spirit that you can do this physically, mentally, emotionally demanding job?” he added.

Kuhlman described Dr. O’Connor as “a good doctor” intent on providing sound medical advice, but stopped short of ruling out the possibility of omissions or oversights in the assessment process. “I didn’t see that he’s purposely hiding stuff, but I don’t know that,” Kuhlman stated, adding that continuing investigations might clarify these concerns.

The scrutiny over Biden’s cognitive health comes amid increasing political tension in Washington. On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Biden’s staff improperly used an autopen—a device for automatically signing documents—to obscure signs of cognitive decline while exercising executive authority. “This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” the order read, claiming the American public was kept in the dark about the true source of presidential decision-making during Biden’s term.

Biden himself responded swiftly, issuing a statement asserting, “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

The debate over Biden’s cognitive fitness has been fueled further by the special counsel Robert Hur’s February 2024 report into Biden’s handling of classified documents. While not recommending criminal charges, Hur described Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” citing specific moments when the president reportedly struggled to recall significant dates and events, including when he served as vice president and the passing of his son, Beau.

The controversy has now moved to Capitol Hill, where House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer has subpoenaed Dr. O’Connor to testify later this month. Comer’s letter to the physician signaled a broad inquiry, highlighting the need to examine not only medical assessments but also whether O’Connor’s professional relationship with the Biden family could have influenced his conclusions about Biden’s physical and mental readiness for office.

Meanwhile, skepticism about Biden's mental acuity is emerging from within Democratic circles as well. A recent book, “Original Sin,” authored by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, chronicles internal anxieties among Biden aides over the president’s age and cognitive stamina. The authors describe a period in which “five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.” Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi Biden, dismissed such claims as “political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class.”

The Oversight Committee has expanded its investigation, requesting interviews with a number of Biden’s top advisers and former staffers. The committee warned that subpoenas could follow if voluntary cooperation is not forthcoming. As the probe continues to unfold, the issue of presidential health—and specifically cognitive fitness—remains a focal point in the ongoing debate over the responsibilities and transparency required of America’s highest elected officials.