President Joe Biden will undergo a routine physical Thursday, with some of the results made public afterward – likely the last health update on the oldest president in history before he launches an expected bid for reelection.
The exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland is Biden’s second since becoming president. In 2021, his doctor reported the president was a “healthy, vigorous” 78-year-old fit to serve as commander-in-chief.
Now 80, Biden is likely to undergo a similar round of tests. The White House said this week a summary of findings written by the presidential physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, would be released to the public afterward.
Presidents are under no legal requirement to release information about their health and can choose which details are made public. Reports from the White House physician over the last several decades have consistently described the office-holder as fit to serve.
Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a potential second term, has faced consistent questions about his age and health from conservative critics. Even many Democrats say in polls they are concerned about his age. He has sought to rebut those doubts by pointing to his record and stamina: “Watch me,” he often says to those who point out his age.
More recently, Biden has also questioned the accuracy of polls that show a majority of Democrats want another candidate as their nominee next year. “That’s not what I hear,” he said in an interview with Telemundo last week. “Look, do you know any polling that’s accurate these days?”
At his last physical, the White House did not say whether Biden underwent any cognitive tests, which some doctors recommend for older adults.
The White House originally said Biden would complete his physical by the end of January, but the date slid amid a busy travel…
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