More than three dozen House Republicans are demanding that President Joe Biden submits to a cognitive test and outlined their concerns...
More than three dozen House Republicans are demanding that President Joe Biden submits to a cognitive test and outlined their concerns about his fitness for office in a searing letter sent on Wednesday.
Thirty-seven GOP lawmakers signed onto the letter, written by former White House physician Rep. Ronny Jackson.
'The American people should have absolute confidence in their President. They deserve to know that he or she can perform the duties of Head of State and Commander-in-Chief,' the letter, obtained by Fox, states.
'They deserve full transparency on the mental capabilities of their highest elected leader. To achieve this, we urge you to submit to a cognitive test immediately.'
Jackson penned a similar letter in June that did not appear to receive a public reply from the White House
It comes after recent polling showed a growing number of Americans having doubts about Biden's mental fitness.
House Republicans' letter cites instances of the 79-year-old president forgetting the names of senior Cabinet officials, misreading clearly-marked figures and even suggested Biden has shown symptoms of Alzheimers' Disease.
'The Alzheimer’s Association lists “changes in mood and personality,” including being more “easily upset” as one of ten signs of mental decline,' Jackson wrote in the letter.
In their Wednesday letter, House lawmakers cite specific instances that could prompt concern for Biden's mental health: Including calling a reporter a 'stupid son of a b****' at a press conference, misreading data at a COVID-19 briefing and misremembering details about his mother's death during an Amtrak event
'You displayed this type of mood change during a cabinet meeting on January 24, 2022, when you apparently did not know your microphone was on after finishing your opening remarks, and you called a White House reporter a “stupid son of a b****”in response to a question asked on inflation.'
He was referring to a hot mic moment during which Biden criticized Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, after which the president personally apologized to the journalist.
'As a former physician to three Presidents of the United States, I know what it takes mentally and physically to execute the duties of Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,' Jackson told Fox.
'Joe Biden has continually proven to me and to the world that something isn’t right.'
In the letter he pointed to the example of former President Donald Trump, who was given the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) in 2018 when Jackson was the commander-in-chief's doctor.
Trump had repeatedly boated about 'acing' the test, designed to detect signs of mild cognitive impairment such as with early onset dementia.
'We believe that, regardless of gender, age, or political party, all Presidents should follow the example set by former President Trump to document and demonstrate sound mental abilities,' the lawmakers wrote, adding that it should be 'routine' for all future presidents as well.
Other legislators who signed on include Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York; Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona; GOP conference vice chairman Mike Johnson of Louisiana; Republican Study Committee chairman Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana; and several members in addition to Jackson who hold medical degrees.
Jackson told Fox: 'This is not a partisan issue. When I discussed taking a cognitive test with President Trump, he was eager to assure the American people and to put the fake news media’s stories to bed.'
'Why won’t President Biden do the same?' he questioned, adding that the House Republicans could only 'assume the worst' if Biden doesn't take the test and publish the results.
The letter quotes the MOCA creator's recommendation that the test should be administered when loved ones and others close in someone's orbit 'start noticing mental decline.'
'This particularly includes forgetfulness on ordinary tasks, which you have clearly exhibited throughout your tenure,' Jackson's letter reads.
A recent poll conducted by Politico and Morning Consult found that 49 percent of Americans disagree with the notion that Biden is 'mentally fit,' compared to 40 percent who believe he is.
The largest share of respondents, 37 percent, said they 'strongly disagree' that Biden is mentally fit.
The number of Americans who expressed concern about Biden's brain in the mid-January survey is only a one-point uptick from the 48 percent who said the same in November.
But the confidence in him is dropping dramatically -- 46 percent said in November that the president is mentally fit, a six-point decline.
The January survey also showed 50 percent of Americans disagreeing with the statement that Biden is 'in good health.'
Lawmakers' Wednesday letter cites a number of instances that fueled speculation about Biden's mental health, including a COVID-19 task force press conference during which he appeared to have issues reading a statistic in front of him, and had to be corrected by Dr. Anthony Fauci.
'This is not just a recent trend, as your mental decline and forgetfulness have become more apparent over the past two years,' they write.
'On the campaign trail, you often forgot the names of states that you were in for campaign rallies. The Alzheimer’s Association points out “confusion with time or place” as another of the ten signs and symptoms of mental decline.'
'In February 2021, you publicly forgot the purpose of your visit to survey the winter storm damage in Texas. In March 2021, you forgot the name of the Pentagon, the Department of Defense, and the Defense Secretary.
'Lastly, in May 2021, you told a story from your tenure as Vice President in which you stated that you regularly visited your sick mother via Amtrak in2013, even though she passed away in 2010.'
His health battles have been well-documented.
Biden suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988 while vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, which went to Michael Dukakis. He had surgery to treat the life-threatening conditions.
He also had a heart condition which makes the muscle beat too fast, causing dizziness and confusion -- known as atrial fibrilation.
As America's oldest President, risk factors that come naturally with age are also a concern. The chance of dementia doubles every five years after age 65, and one in six people have it by age 80.
Biden's also experienced accidents since becoming president, including falling while climbing up the stairs of Air Force One in March.
Last November he suffered hairline fractures in his food when playing with one of his dogs and had to wear a protective boot for weeks.
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