The US President sometimes appears jittery during appearances and has a stiff gait. Nevertheless, he wants to compete in the election. Is he healthy?
A few weeks ago, en route to the Presidential Helicopter Marine One parked at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda north of Washington, Joe Biden did for the TV cameras what you do when you’re 80 and many think you are belong in retirement. But no more White House. Demonstratively smiling, he switched to the trot. Look here: I’m fit.
Since Tuesday, when the oldest US president of all time officially declared that he wanted to hang on for another four years, the Bulletin has been put through its paces by Biden’s personal physician. Kevin O’Connor had found that in March Biden “can perform all of its obligations without any exceptions or limitations”.
Joe Biden: Doctors comment on his health
The routine check found that Biden had no long-term corona collateral damage from his 2021 infection. Because Biden doesn’t smoke, none Alcohol drinks and does cardio and strength training five times a week in the morning, one can describe him as “healthy” and “strong”.
Since the examination in November 2021, Biden has lost weight: 80.7 kg instead of 83.4 kg. At a height of almost 1.83 meters. Be Bodymass-Index dropped from 25.0 to 24.1. Blood pressure leveled off at 126/78, previously 120/70. Lungs and respiratory tract: unremarkable. As part of the preventive care, a lesion on his upper body was removed. The skin cancer was removed in time.
According to O’Connor, Biden’s stiff gait, caused in part by spinal arthritis, has not worsened. The frequent clearing and coughing (cause: reflux) is no more serious than it used to be. Evidence of neurological damage (stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease)? No. Because of atrial fibrillation (without symptoms) and high cholesterol levels, Biden is prescribed standard preparations. Likewise against hay fever.
US President: Biden has bizarre dropouts at press conferences
Colloquially, for many Americans, the good health record doesn’t translate into the image that Biden paints with unsightly regularity. Several video snippets are circulating on the Internet, showing Biden on the stairs of the Presidential Machine Air Force One tripped or fell. During a bike ride at his weekend home in Rehoboth Beach in the summer, a foot got tangled in the pedals while he was stationary. Biden landed on his stomach. In addition, depending on the form of the day, there are mental breaks that feed doubts about the freshness of the President in front of the camera. In addition to mumbling names, mix-ups and some sentences that end in nirvana, there are glitches that make even those closest to him roll their eyes. As in the case of Jackie Walorski.
At a White House conference on hunger in the fall, Biden asked from the podium about Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who had been particularly active on the issue. “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? I think she should be here.” A little later, Biden added the oblique sentence. “I guess she probably didn’t want to be here.” The Republican died in a car accident in her home state of Indiana in August 2022 at the age of 58.
Biden had personally condoled the relatives with a lot of empathy during a long phone call. How can the first man in the state have forgotten that?
US election: Is Biden mentally fit enough for the election campaign?
Biden’s will-o’-the-wisps are poison for the upcoming election campaign – and gold for the Republicans. Starting with Donald Trump, all the top people in the party never get tired, Biden the physical and mental ones robustness agree to get through the exhausting everyday life as Commander-in-Chief. The fact that the White House is avoiding potential potholes, such as having almost abolished press conferences with critical questioners, is seen as proof that Biden no longer has enough to deal with.
The Republicans like to leave out that the president also made many strong rhetorical appearances. Recall the State of the Union address in February, where Biden republican repeatedly teased and led to revealing scenes. Or his performances abroad, most recently in Poland.
Biden vs. Trump: Hardly any alternatives to Biden’s candidacy
The question that worries many people, not only in the political arena, is: When Biden who sometimes has serious problems at 80, how is that going to happen at 82, 83, 84, 85 or 86? The conservative “Wall Street Journal” is certain: “Biden’s skills will continue to shrink. He will be less and less able to make important decisions that the office demands of him.” For WSJ commentator Gerald Baker, running again borders on “deliberate recklessness.”
Democratic party strategists are preparing for the fact that Biden and the Democrats will face each other in the next 18 months up to the Wahl are always asked about a “plan B”: what if Joe Biden falls seriously ill before or shortly after the election? Or if he doesn’t pack the hardships of the election campaign, which is foreseeably becoming more strenuous (the monastic retreat caused by Corona has ended). Who then takes the helm?
Biden’s environment does not talk away the risk. And the President himself said on US television: “I know. I could get sick or drop dead tomorrow.” But the truth is that the past few months, especially these midterm elections in Congress, were like a big vitamin shot for Biden. Since then, Biden has considered it his most important mission to save America from another presidency of the narcissistic People’s Tribunal Trump. “It gives him,” says a longtime friend, “endless power.”
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