Jeffrey Kuhlman, former President Barack Obama’s personal physician from 2009 to 2013, said Joe Biden – like any politician over 70 – should undergo regular cognitive testing, the results of which should be made public.
In parallel, the Trump administration announced on June 5 an investigation into whether toward the end of Biden’s term, his aides signed official documents, including executive orders and clemency acts, using autopen – an automated system that faithfully reproduces a signature – without the president’s direct involvement. Prosecutors suggest that this practice may have masked possible cognitive decline. Biden denied all charges, saying he personally approved all official decisions and acts. His staff has defended the use of autopen, calling it a legitimate and established practice.
In an interview with the New York Post, Kuhlman argued that both Biden, 82, and Donald Trump, 78, would benefit from annual neurocognitive examinations. “At that age, some decline in mental capacity is physiological,” he said, adding that he has long recommended these regular checkups.
According to Kuhlman, the three medical screenings conducted during Biden’s term did not include assessments by cognitive specialists. In particular, he pointed out that Biden never underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a rapid test to detect early signs of dementia, unlike Trump, who had done it during his term.
While acknowledging the professionalism of Biden’s current doctor, Kevin O’Connor, Kuhlman noted that “sometimes people who are too close to the trees don’t see the whole forest,” alluding to the possibility that any signs of decline may have been underestimated.
O’Connor, in July 2024, had stated that Biden’s mental health was “excellent,” saying that “the president goes through a cognitive test every day,” and no specific examination was needed for that.
The debate was reignited after the publication of the book The Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which accuses presidential staff of covering up the possible cognitive deterioration of Biden.
Following the book’s revelations, O’Connor was summoned by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to report on the president’s mental condition at a hearing scheduled for June 27.
