So here’s a good question for Joe Biden: When are we going to see the results of a medical exam? That’s something that we periodically expect to see from presidents and the Democrats made a big thing about with President Donald Trump.
Fox raised the question during one of their shows today saying the White House won’t say when Biden will be getting a physical exam. Just like with the press conference question, that would seem a relatively simple proposition, assuming everything is good.
In googling Biden and physical exam, what I get is what appears to be his last publicly released physical exam from December 2019 which is obviously some time ago.
Biden replaced the White House physician with his own personal physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, according to ABC.
O’Connor has served as Biden’s primary care physician since 2009, when he was appointed physician to the vice president and was chosen by Biden for the new role due to their long history, and personal relationship, according to a White House official.
O’Connor served 22 years in the Army, including tours of duty with the 82nd Airborne Division, 75th Ranger Regiment, and United States Army Special Operations Command, and over a decade at the White House– an eight-year extension at Biden’s request to what was supposed to be a three-year gig.
As ABC notes while presidents often replace or appoint a new doctor, it’s rare to have someone coming in that has cared for someone in the office for that long a period of time.
Connor was the one who provided a summary of a physical exam in Dec. 2019 that described Biden as “a healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”
At the time of the report, Biden was under treatment for four different conditions, including non-valvular atrial fibrillation (A-fib)–a type of irregular heart rhythm, hyperlipidemia– higher concentrations of fats or lipids in the blood, gastroesophageal reflux, and seasonal allergies.
The most notable health incident in Biden’s past, according to O’Connor’s report, were the two cranial aneurysms that he suffered in 1988. No additional report on Biden’s health was released during the campaign.
You might recall this odd moment during the campaign when a reporter asked Biden if he was going to take a cognitive exam and he “bristled” at that, saying “Come on, man!” and “Why the hell would I take a test?” he said. He then says it’s like asking the reporter if he’s taken cocaine, a really odd response. He also accused the reporter of trying to “goad him.”