Experts Caution Against Hasty Conclusions on Biden and Trump’s Cognitive Health 

Experts noted that hasty conclusions cannot be made that U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump suffer from cognitive decline.
Experts noted that hasty conclusions cannot be made that U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump suffer from cognitive decline. Credit | Getty images

Experts noted that hasty conclusions cannot be made that U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump suffer from cognitive decline because of occasions of verbal errors, stating that this does not necessarily mean a deterioration of mental sharpness. 

At age 81, the current Democratic candidate Biden, who is vying to be re-elected in November, has argued with the other opponent, President Trump (77), that they may have suffered from dementia. Nikki Haley, Trump’s last Republican rival who is in her fifties, declared that both men, in their eighties, are too old to be President and should be tested for mental deterioration. 

Cognitive Assessments Require In-Person Consultations, Experts Say 

Cognitive assessments made by doctors are only possible during in-person consultations and checkups with the use of different tests, say the five retired experts whose interviews Reuters published. These experts have warned that mental acuity cannot be accurately evaluated based on news feeds and recordings. The U.S. population and media at large are in danger of becoming a society of armchair gerontologists – lay people who analyze the conditions and lifestyles of the elderly. 

“We make mistakes. The probability of slip-ups rises as we get older. That has nothing to do with judgment,” said S. Jay Olshansky. 

“Someone commenting on Trump turning right when he should have turned left. Big deal. Tripping? Join the club. A misspoken word? It happens to all of us. None of us would survive a 24/7 camera.” 

Age and the Election 

The fact that age is equally an important factor in this election, especially for Biden, the person who will be the oldest individual to sit in the Oval Office, is not in any way doubtful. Nearly three out of four (78%) of the participants of the Reuters/Ipsos poll have affirmed that they think Biden cannot work in the government at his age. Among the Democrats, the figure reaches 71%. Trump is less in the higher age skepticism circle; 53% of the respondents consider him to be too old for the public position. 

Public Opinion on Cognitive Sharpness 

In fact, according to the news outlet, around 62% of respondents and 37% of Democrats asserted that Biden was not cognitively sharp and able to tackle related challenges. Regarding criticism for Trump, 47% of respondents and 19% of Republicans said the former President wasn’t. 

The matter returned as a key issue when Special Counsel Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney from Maryland who served in Trump’s administration, mentioned in his report on what Biden said about this matter a week ago that “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” who was not able to recall to investigators when his son, Beau Biden, died. 

Biden angrily denied Hur’s accusations about his memory, saying during attendance at the White House that “my memory is good.” But, in the same speech, he mixed up the President of Mexico for the President of Egypt. 

According to Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Homeland Security A.M. Mayorkas, Joe Biden is clear-minded and well-informed during phone calls and in-person meetings. 

The new President has recently dropped the ball in terms of a few verbal gaffes as well. Let us take the example of January 19th, when he mixed up Haley with the former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Even more bizarre, he claimed that it was former Democratic President Barack Obama who was still the office holder. 

Elliott M. Stein, a geriatric psychiatrist headquartered in California, said there can be various causes, such as the sleepless night or the fact that one is distracted. 

“This is especially true of someone who is under time pressures or situation pressures, or being interviewed or in the public eye,” Stein said. 

Trump frequently deviates from his teleprompter during his 1-2 talks. 

“It’s also what someone gets right. Did they say 25 things right and one thing wrong, then that’s pretty darn good. Look at what they’re getting right, especially in spontaneous speeches,” said Lenze. 

MEDICAL RECORDS SCRUTINIZED 

By the numbers, Biden is a testimony to the notable health of a typical American man. He is working out five times per week and has never smoked or drank in his life; the levels of his blood pressure and ratio of weight to height, being 126/78 and 24.1 according to his physical examination in 2023, would be considered fabulous numbers for somebody who is much younger, the doctors affirm. 

During the press briefing on Monday, the White House press spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre, said that the President, as planned, will undergo a physical exam, but she does not seem to have any schedule for it. 

When the reporter asked if Biden would agree to have such a test, Jean-Pierre seemed not to want to answer the question.” The President proves every day how he operates and how he thinks — right? — by dealing with world leaders, making really difficult decisions on behalf of the American people.” 

Trump’s physician wrote in a note released in November that the former President is in “excellent health” and that “he will continue to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle for many years.” 

Very little information was included in the note, which was signed by New Jersey osteopath Bruce Aronwald. Harold Bornstein, a Trump doctor who authored a similar memo that was published in 2015, said that Trump had approved its substance. 

According to a 2020 study by Olshansky and colleagues at the University of Illinois, who examined Trump and Biden’s medical records, they were both generally healthy and had long family histories. 

“There is suggestive evidence that both candidates are likely to be ‘super agers,’” the researchers said. However, the paper noted that Biden appeared to have better diet and exercise regimens than Trump. 

Olshansky has promised to repeat the same research once the summer is here and they get their records. 

Just when the Trump campaign asked about Trump’s most recent medical records and whether he would be tested on cognitive, they just pointed to the physician’s note in November. Cheung, like his fellow spokesperson, is confident that Trump would “out work” Biden.