Just weeks after the release of the scathing special counsel report that characterized him as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” President Joe Biden had his annual physical and, lo and behold, he is apparently fit as a fiddle.
The 81 year old was deemed “healthy” and “robust” by his physician. But what was noticeably absent from the analysis was anything about Biden’s mental acuity. That led even the White House press corps to inquire as to whether or not such information would be made available.
On Thursday’s show, Megyn was joined by the hosts of The Fifth Column – Kmele Foster, Michael Moynihan, and Matt Welch – to discuss why Biden will likely never take a cognitive test and how he is being failed by those closest to him.
The Physical
President Biden made a previously unannounced trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Wednesday for his annual physical with Dr. Kevin O’Connor. In a release following the check up, O’Connor called Biden a “healthy, robust 81 year old” and declared him fit to “successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”
The physician found that the president’s exam was “essentially unchanged from baseline.” According to the release, the president “feels well and this year’s physical identified no new concerns.” It noted that while his gait is stiff, it “has not worsened.” He did disclose that Biden is now using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea.
While the Biden team likely hoped the six-page memo from Dr. O’Connor would answer any and all questions, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre still faced plenty during a briefing on Wednesday afternoon. “Even the Democrats are not sure they want Biden now, so the press corps is a little bit aggressive on his health,” Megyn noted. “It’s nothing like what it should be, but it’s rare to see a little aggression from them.”
When asked if the White House would make Dr. O’Connor available to reporters for further questioning, Jean-Pierre said no. “We will make this robust, comprehensive memo as we have done the last two years available to all of you,” she hedged. “[But] the doctor coming to– coming to the briefing room, it is not a norm. We’re trying to get back to the norm.”
She also faced questions about whether Biden will undergo any sort of cognitive testing. Again, the answer was no, but KJP also attempted to defend her boss:
“You know, the President doesn’t need a cognitive test. That is not my assessment… that is the assessment of the president’s doctor. That is also the assessment of the neurologist who has also made that assessment as well,” she said. “I will reiterate this, the president’s doctor has said if you look at what this president does… he passes a cognitive test every day, every day as he moves from topic to another topic, trying– understanding the granular level of these topics.”
– Karine Jean-Pierre, February 28, 2024
Megyn said this is clearly a losing battle for the press secretary. “Can’t you tell when you watch her there that she is nervous,” she asked. “She gets all shaky. The eye lids with all the sparkly shadow start to flutter a little bit more. She’s like, ‘Oh sh-t. We’re on my weakest issue.'”
‘It Feels Cruel‘
While Megyn said “it is easy to laugh about” the Biden team’s defense tactics, she called the situation “infuriating” because the president clearly needs to be examined. “It’s the most important country in the world,” she noted. “We deserve to know whether this guy can pass a cognitive test. It’s pretty basic.”
Despite how simple it may be to arrange for President Biden to take one, Welch doesn’t see it happening. “I sat with my father taking the neurological exam, and it was eye-opening,” he shared. “He just turned 85, so he is younger than Biden will be if he wins re-election and serves it out to term.”
Welch recalled that when his dad was asked what year it was, he responded “April 1982.” The test was administered last year. “I’ve watched my father’s memory – especially short term memory – and various things decline over the past five years,” he explained. “But when you’re hanging out with your dad and talking about the Angels or whatever, you don’t necessarily get that level of ‘Oh, gosh.'”
Based on Biden’s recent behavior and the findings of Special Counsel Robert Hur, Welch believes the president would face a similar situation. “Go into the granular details [of the report] and the ways that he was bringing up his son’s death and getting the facts, and years, and times wrong,” he said. “The cognitive test will absolutely isolate that… He will give a crazy wrong answer and that will show people immediately that the game is over.” For that reason, Welch said Biden “will never do it.”
Megyn agreed that such a scenario would “be the end of his presidency,” but she blamed those around the commander in chief – including First Lady Jill Biden – for allowing this public decline. “I am angry at Dr. Jill,” she said. “I would never let this happen to my husband and my husband would never let this happen to me.”
Ultimately, Megyn said it is the American people who lose. “It is absurd for her to allow this. It really feels cruel,” she concluded. “But it’s mostly cruel to us because… we need somebody sane to run the country and we’re not looking at it right now.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with The Fifth Column by tuning in to episode 734 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.