The first presidential debate of 2024 left many Americans, and even some traditional Democratic allies, wondering whether President Biden was mentally fit for office. This was evident in his sometimes slurred thought process and his hoarse voice on Thursday night.
The White House responded to these concerns by saying the 81-year-old president had a cold, but some doctors said they believed the health problems went beyond the runny nose.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon who specializes in cognitive functions, told Fox News Digital about his concerns on Friday.
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“President Biden's performance in [Thursday] “That evening's debate reignited long-running discussions about his cognitive abilities and his overall leadership skills,” Osborn told Fox News Digital.
“Biden struggled to tell a coherent story all evening, frequently losing the thread mid-sentence and giving vague, rambling and unreadable answers to very critical questions,” said Osborn, who gave his professional opinion.
Joe Biden is seen at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, June 28, the day after the debate. Dr. Marc Siegel, inserted left, and Dr. Brett Osborn, inserted right, discussed President Biden's performance during Thursday night's presidential debate and shared their concerns about his health from their perspective. (Fox News; Getty Images; Dr. Brett Osborn)
“His frequent pauses, stumbling over words and reliance on notes highlighted concerns about his mental acuity,” Osborn added.
“Biden struggled to maintain a coherent narrative, often losing his train of thought in mid-sentence.”
These apparent signs of cognitive decline indicate a “growing inability” to manage the complexities of the presidency, the neurosurgeon said.
“His difficulty formulating clear, concise answers and his apparent disorientation during the debate were seen by many — including his own constituents — as deeply troubling indicators of his overall health and a marked decline in his cognitive function,” Osborn said.
Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are seen during the first presidential debate of the 2024 election at CNN's studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
“President Biden lacks the mental acuity required for the highest office in the land… especially in the midst of [today’s] current national and international crises.”
The neurosurgeon, who did not treat Biden himself, also indicated that the 47th president has undergone multiple surgeries for a brain aneurysm.
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There's a famous saying in neurosurgery, Osborn said: “Once the air hits your brain, you'll never be the same.”
The surgeon surmised, “The odds have been against him for years, long before his presidency.”
Joe Biden reacts as supporters greet him at his debate watch party at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Derek White/Getty Images for DNC)
Dr. Marc Siegel, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor also spoke to Fox News Digital about his side's concerns.
“The debate is in some ways a psychiatric or cognitive stress test,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Although Biden was able to respond to questions and appeared to be spatially aware, Siegel said the president “often displayed disorientation” and had “problems with spontaneity or redirection,” the doctor said.
He has not personally investigated Biden.
Dr. Marc Siegel, right, was a guest on “Fox & Friends” on Friday, June 28, to discuss the presidential debate on Thursday evening. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post via Getty Images; Fox News)
Siegel described Biden's speech as “meandering,” noting that he ended sentences in different places than intended and “often confused 'trillions' and 'billions' and 'millions.'”
Siegel confirmed that a physical illness, even combined with a cold, can bring out cognitive issues “even more.”
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“Still, it's hard to believe this is all because of a cold,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. “Anyway, we need someone who is sharp despite having a cold.”
The NYU Langone doctor noted that cognitive problems “wax and wax,” so they won't always appear in the same way.
President Joe Biden looks on 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 age of both candidates is a concern, Siegel countered that what is important is a president's physical and mental fitness.
“It's a question of fitness, not of age,” he said. “It's a question of mental acuity, which is especially important when there is a crisis.”
Biden is 81 (he turns 82 in November); Trump is 78.
During an appearance on “Fox & Friends” on Friday morning, Siegel also addressed the possibility of cold medicine affecting Biden's performance.
“It's a matter of fitness, not age. It's a matter of mental acuity.”
“None of the medications he would be taking for a cold, other than something that might make him drowsy, would be relevant here,” he said.
“And I don't think they would give him anything that would make him sleepy for a debate,” he said.
He added: “We've been looking at this for quite some time. This is something progressive.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Biden's campaign and the White House press office for comment.
Earlier this year, concerns arose about Biden's age and memory after the release of a special counsel's report. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Earlier this year, concerns arose about Biden's age and memory after the release of a special counsel report. The report described the Democrat's memory as “fuzzy,” “vague,” “flawed,” “poor” and with “significant impairment,” the Associated Press noted at the time.
The report found that Biden could not remember certain milestones in his own life, including the date his own son Beau died of brain cancer, as Fox News Digital reported at the time. (Beau Biden died on May 30, 2015.)
“My memory is fine,” Biden responded afterwards from the White House.
“Someone with increasing memory and judgment problems is often the last to recognize this.”
The New York Times editorial board and others have called on Biden to drop out of the race after his performance at the debate.
Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that Biden had a “slow start” to the debate, but she defended his performance overall and his record during his time in the White House.
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Said Dr. Siegel in a New York Post opinion piece that appeared in the publication Saturday morning, “This is not an age issue. Cognition varies greatly with age, and it is unfair to say that executive function is automatically impaired at some point in life. But it is a sad medical fact that a person with increasing memory and judgment problems is often the last to recognize this.”
