US President Joe Biden’s doctor Kevin O’Connor on Thursday defended his “excellent” mental acuity days after his shocking decision not to seek reelection.
Dr Kevin O’Connor was asked by the New York Post about 81-year-old Biden’s health.
“It’s excellent,” he answered.
“Could that change before the end of his term?” the NYP journalist followed up as the presidential physician walked on the White House driveway.
“I hope not,” O’Connor, who has never briefed the press during Biden’s more than three years in office, responded.
“And how is his mental cognition?” The Post asked.
“It’s excellent,” Biden’s personal doctor said.
He was then asked if there was a reason why they didn’t perform a cognitive test on Biden.
“We don’t need to. He’s here every day,” O’Connor said.
The journalist then asked him, “Is there anything to that speculation that there might be something related to Parkinson’s that he has?”
“No, he’s good,” O’Connor answered.
Parkinson’s was linked with Joe Biden after reports claimed that an expert on the disease visited the White House eight times in eight months, including at least once for a meeting with Biden’s physician.
The White House, however, earlier this month said that it was being incorrectly assumed and insinuated that Biden was being treated for Parkinson’s.
Joe Biden bowed out of the White House on Sunday after weeks of pressure that began with a disastrous June 27 debate performance against Republican candidate Donald Trump that raised concerns about his age and mental acuity.
His exit made him the first president in US history to pull out so late in an election race, and the first to bow out because of concerns over his mental acuity and health.
He has now thrown his support behind his deputy Kamala Harris, who is the first woman in US history to hold the vice presidency. She is set to be nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19.
