For Biden’s 80th Birthday, America Should Give Him A Cognitive Exam

President Biden, who turns 80 on Sunday, is racking up a growing list of awkward senior moments — like when he became momentarily inattentive during an on-camera interview (raising speculation that he may have fallen asleep), or when he called out for the late Rep. Jackie Walorski at an event, evidently forgetting she had been tragically killed in an auto accident. Rare interviews and news conferences have been the norm during his administration, as well as a reticence to take questions from the press.

An unsubstantiated statement about a Naval Academy appointment, a false claim that Congress passed a bill for student loan forgiveness (it didn’t), and a gaffe about visiting 54 states in the U.S. have only given more cause for concern. Meanwhile, gaffes with foreign policy implications, such as unscripted calls for Vladimir Putin’s removal and a murky understanding of the official U.S. policy regarding the defense of Taiwan, have given pause to many here and abroad. Because of this, the White House press secretary has frequently had to “walk back” what President Biden has said, with a cycle of confusing and inaccurate statements followed by spin and retractions.

A national poll from January found that 49 percent of voters “disagreed with the statement that Biden is mentally fit,” and 54 House Republicans have requested that he take a cognitive test. To date, only a few medical professionals have gone on record with their concerns, and they include a former White House physician, a Fox News medical correspondent, and a psychiatrist/author from Australia. Biden will turn 80 years old on Sunday and is the oldest sitting president in U.S. history. Should the American public be concerned?