It should not be controversial to say that the President of the United States must be physically and mentally fit to serve. The job is relentless, demanding sharp decision-making and the ability to process vast amounts of complex information under pressure. That’s why the role of the president’s personal physician isn’t just medical — it’s civic. The physician is responsible not only for the health of the president, but also for maintaining public trust in the presidency.
Unfortunately, recent developments surrounding Joe Biden’s former physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, have deepened long-standing concerns about whether that trust was abused — or outright betrayed.
A Physician’s Silence Speaks Volumes
Dr. O’Connor’s refusal to answer any questions during a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, is a stunning move. For a government-employed physician whose job was to give the public confidence in the president’s well-being, it’s not just suspicious — it’s damning.
Let’s be clear: invoking the Fifth isn’t an admission of guilt, but it’s certainly not an exoneration either. If Dr. O’Connor had full confidence in the truthfulness and integrity of his public assessments of Biden’s health, he could have easily defended them under oath. Instead, he chose to remain silent — and that silence raises more questions than it answers.
The Public Diagnosis vs. the Private Reality
At the end of February 2024, Dr. O’Connor declared that Biden was “fit for duty” and needed no special accommodations. But in the months both before and after that declaration, disturbing accounts emerged that painted a very different picture. Biden had trouble remembering names of long-time colleagues, appeared confused or disengaged in critical meetings, and exhibited serious physical decline — even requiring internal discussions about the use of a wheelchair, according to the book Original Sin by Alex Thompson.
We now know that behind closed doors, even Biden’s political advisers were growing uneasy. There were deliberations about giving him a cognitive test to reassure the public — a plan reportedly dismissed by O’Connor, who claimed he saw no cause for concern. This, despite numerous visible red flags and private conversations suggesting otherwise.
So which was it? Was President Biden truly "fit for duty" — or was O’Connor pressured to say so, despite mounting evidence to the contrary?
A Pattern of Obfuscation
Throughout Biden’s presidency, O’Connor never gave a single press conference or media interview about the president’s health — a stark departure from the norm. Previous White House doctors routinely spoke to the press, released detailed medical reports, and answered tough questions.
Dr. Ronny Jackson, who served Presidents Obama and Trump, did just that. So did Dr. Sean Conley during the COVID-19 pandemic. But O’Connor remained behind closed doors, offering carefully crafted written statements that often raised more questions than they answered. The lack of transparency was obvious — and apparently deliberate.
Now, with reports that Biden had been suffering from stage 4 prostate cancer for some time — a diagnosis revealed only after he left office — Americans are left wondering: how long did O’Connor know, and why wasn’t it disclosed sooner?
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel shocked MSNBC hosts by suggesting Biden had likely been living with the cancer “for many years, maybe even a decade.” That would mean O’Connor either failed to detect a condition that should be routinely screened for — or knew about it and didn’t tell the public.
Both options are unacceptable.
The Role of Joe Biden in the Silence
It's also important to understand that only Joe Biden can release Dr. O’Connor from doctor-patient confidentiality. If Biden had nothing to hide, he could simply say, “Tell them everything.” But he hasn’t.
By refusing to waive that privilege, Biden is essentially blocking O’Connor from speaking freely, leaving the doctor to either stay silent or risk breaching ethical and legal boundaries. This doesn’t just harm O’Connor’s credibility — it hurts the public’s right to know whether they were being misled about the health of the commander-in-chief.
What Comes Next
This isn’t about political partisanship. It’s about transparency, truth, and the right of the American people to make informed decisions about their leadership. If the president’s physician misled the public — or was forced to — that’s a scandal of historic proportions. And if Biden truly believed he had nothing to hide, he would have allowed his physician to testify fully and truthfully.
Instead, the silence continues. The public still doesn’t know why Biden was never given a cognitive exam, why early signs of mental decline were dismissed, or why basic screening tests like a PSA (used to detect prostate cancer) were apparently skipped.
This isn’t just about what happened during Biden’s time in office — it’s about setting a precedent for every future president. Americans deserve leaders who are healthy, yes — but even more importantly, they deserve honesty about their leaders’ health.
