The first presidential debate of 2024 has left many Americans, and even some traditional Democratic allies, skeptical about whether President Biden’s He said his mental state was not fit for office, as his thinking seemed unclear at times and his voice sounded hoarse Thursday night.
The White House responded to these concerns by claiming the 81-year-old president was battling a cold, but some doctors said they believed his condition was serious. health issues Go beyond sniffling.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon who specializes in cognitive function, explained his concerns to Fox News Digital on Friday.
“President Biden’s performance in (Thursday) night’s debate has reignited long-standing discussions about his cognitive abilities and his overall performance. leadership abilityOsborne told Fox News Digital.
Osborne expressed his professional opinion, saying, “Throughout the evening, Biden struggled to maintain a coherent narrative, often lost his train of thought mid-sentence, and offered vague, ambiguous and incomprehensible answers to extremely important questions.”
Joe Biden is shown at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, June 28, the day after the debate. Dr. Marc Siegel, inset left, and Dr. Brett Osborne, inset right, comment on President Biden’s performance during Thursday night’s presidential debate, and share concerns about his health from their perspective. (Fox News; Getty Images; Dr. Brett Osborn)
“His frequent pauses, stuttering of words, and reliance on notes underscore concerns about his mental acuity,” Osborne said.
“Biden struggled to maintain a coherent narrative, often losing his train of thought in mid-sentence.”
According to the neurosurgeon, these signs of cognitive decline highlight a “growing inability” to manage the complexities required by the job of the presidency.
“His difficulty in providing clear, concise answers and his apparent disorientation during the debate were seen by many people – including his own voters – as very worrying signs of his overall health and his apparent decline in cognitive functioning,” Osborne said.
Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are shown during the first presidential debate of the 2024 election at CNN’s studios on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
“President Biden lacks the mental acuity necessary for the nation’s highest office … particularly amid (today’s) current national and international crises.”
The neurosurgeon, who has not personally treated Biden, also mentioned that the 47th president is undergoing treatment Multiple surgeries For brain aneurysm.
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Osborn said there’s a famous saying in neurosurgery: “When the wind blows through your brain, you’re never the same again.”
“The odds were stacked against him for many years, long before he became president,” the surgeon speculated.
Joe Biden reacts as he is greeted by supporters at his debate watch party at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Derek White/Getty Images for DNC)
Dr. Mark Siegel, physician, clinical professor of medicine NYU Langone Medical Center And a Fox News medical contributor also spoke to Fox News Digital about his concerns.
“This debate is kind of a psychological or cognitive stress test,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Although Biden was able to answer questions and seemed spatially aware, according to Siegel, the president displayed “persistent disorientation” and “had problems with easing or redirecting attention,” the doctor said.
He has not personally investigated Biden.
Dr. Marc Siegel (right) joined “Fox & Friends” on Friday, June 28, to discuss Thursday evening’s presidential debate. (Kevin D. Lyles, The Washington Post, Getty Images, Fox News)
Siegel described Biden’s speech as “rambling,” saying he ended sentences in a different place than intended and “frequently mixed up ‘trillion,’ ‘billion,’ and ‘million.'”
Siegel confirmed that physical illness, even from a coldCan bring out cognitive issues “even more”.
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“Still, it’s hard to believe that this is all because of a cold,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. “Either way, we need someone who is sharp despite a cold.”
The N.Y.U. Langone doctor said cognitive problems “wax up and down,” so they don’t always appear in the same way.
President Joe Biden looks at former President Donald Trump during the first presidential debate of the 2024 election season on June 27, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
While the ages of both candidates have been a concern, Siegel said the important thing is how old the president is. Physical and mental health,
“It’s an issue of fitness, not age,” he said. “It’s an issue of mental acuity, which is especially important in a crisis situation.”
Biden is 81 (he will turn 82 in November); Trump is 78.
During his appearance on “Fox & Friends” Friday morning, Siegel talked about this possibility as well. Cold medicines Biden’s performance is being affected.
“It’s an issue of fitness, not age. It’s an issue of mental acuity.”
“None of the medications he is taking for his cold are relevant here, except for one that might make him sleepy,” he said.
“And I don’t think they’re going to give him anything that will make him fall asleep before the debate,” he added.
“We’ve been looking at this for a long time. It’s a progressive thing,” he said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Biden campaign and the White House press office for comment.
Earlier this year, concerns about Biden’s age and memory emerged after the release of a special counsel’s report. (AP Photo/Damian Dovergenes)
Earlier this year, concerns about Biden’s age and memory emerged after the release of a special counsel’s report. The report described the Democrat’s memory as “hazy,” “blurred,” “flawed,” “impoverished” and “deeply limited,” the Associated Press reported at the time.
The report indicated that Biden could not remember some of the milestones in his life, such as the date His own son Beau died of brain cancerAs Fox News Digital reported at the time. (Beau Biden died on May 30, 2015.)
Biden then responded from the White House, “My memory is fine.”
“The person with increasing problems with memory and judgment is often the last to admit it.”
The New York Times Editorial Board And others have called on Biden to drop out of the race following his debate performance.
Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that Biden got off to a “slow start” in the debate but defended his performance overall and his record during his tenure in the White House.
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Dr. Siegel said New York Post “It’s not a question of age. Cognition changes widely with age, and it’s not fair to say that executive function automatically becomes impaired at a certain point in life. But it is a sad medical fact that the person with increasing memory and judgment problems is often the last to admit it,” said an article in the Saturday morning publication.
