Biden is ‘fit for duty’ after annual physical, works out five days a week, doctor says
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks, during a campaign event focusing on abortion rights at the Hylton Performing Arts Center, in Manassas, Virginia, U.S., January 23, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
By Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden exercises at least five days a week and is «fit for duty,» his doctor said on Wednesday in a memo about his annual physical that showed the 81-year-old had a root canal last year and is being treated for sleep apnea but is in good health.
Biden, 81, continues to have a stiff gait, but it has not worsened since last year, Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote. He has «peripheral neuropathy» in both feet, gastroesophageal reflux, allergies and spinal arthritis that are treated with medication.
«The President feels well and this year’s physical identified no new concerns,» O’Connor wrote. «He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations.»
The president’s health has received increased scrutiny this year as he runs for re-election as the oldest president in U.S. history.
Biden received the physical at a military hospital in suburban Maryland earlier on Wednesday and declared himself «squared away» after the appointment.
Dressed in a suit, Biden left the White House early on Wednesday for the exam and returned a few hours later. He told reporters once he was back at the White House that the results were no different from his exam the previous year.
«There is nothing different than last year,» Biden told reporters about the results. «Everything is great.»
Last year doctors also declared Biden healthy and «fit for duty» in a physical exam that included removing a lesion from his chest and declaring him free of symptoms of long COVID after his bout with the virus in 2022.
This year’s physical comes as Biden, a Democrat, and former Republican President Donald Trump, 77, prepare to face off in a likely rematch in the Nov. 5 presidential election.
The two candidates have accused each other of mental decline. Trump’s last rival for the Republican nomination, 52-year-old Nikki Haley, has said both men are too old to occupy the White House and should be subjected to cognitive tests.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters the president had not taken a cognitive test and did not need one.
Biden likes to golf and ride his bike in his downtime. But his verbal and physical stumbles have raised concerns about his age and ability to carry out the demands of being commander-in-chief.
Asked if there was anything Americans should be concerned about, Biden made a joke about his age.
«Well, they think I look too young,» Biden quipped.
