President Biden has said none of his doctors have told him he has a serious medical condition. But his debate performance last month raised questions about his health and acuity.

Archive link

President Biden said in an interview released on Wednesday that he would re-evaluate whether to stay in the presidential race if a doctor told him directly that he had a medical condition that made that necessary.

Mr. Biden has said repeatedly that none of his doctors have told him he has a serious medical condition. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, wrote after the president’s physical in February that Mr. Biden is “a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”

But his disastrous performance at a debate with former President Donald J. Trump last month, which prompted a wave of calls by Democratic allies to step aside, raised questions about his health and acuity.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    216·
    2 months ago

    This sounds very much like him setting up a scenario where he can step down without losing face. God, I hope.

    • Doom@ttrpg.network
      48·
      2 months ago

      Would be best case scenario would show maturity and unity for the party.

      This thread pulling bullshit everywhere else is so fuckin fake

    • ceenote@lemmy.world
      40·
      2 months ago

      Much better than the earlier requirement of God himself descending from the heavens to tell him to drop out. After which he’d only consider it.

    • FPSkra@lemmy.world
      33·
      2 months ago

      He started with only God Almighty could make him step down…moved to if polls said there was no path to victory…now we are here…it feels like he’s warming up to the idea.

      • timestatic@feddit.org
        16·
        2 months ago

        Hopefully they can decide swiftly on the democrat convention and Biden can rally the Democrat party united behind one younger more energetic candidate fit to lead the country

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        2 months ago

        God works in mysterious ways. Well, I guess it’s not that mysterious that an 84 year old man who attends a lot of public events got COVID.

        • FPSkra@lemmy.world
          3·
          2 months ago

          What’s the over under on it turning into long COVID which gives him a graceful out.

    • casmael@lemm.ee
      18·
      2 months ago

      Honest question: is that like…. actually a good idea? Probably? What if they decide to replace him with Harris that sounds worse idk

      • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
        23·
        2 months ago

        Infighting to replace him is a terrible idea.

        Him just retiring in favor of Harris or whoever? Better. Still absolutely horseshit considering no one seriously put their hat in the ring for the convention but whatever gets a president that supports universal healthcare and isn’t sunsetting.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        18·
        2 months ago

        It’s probably the less bad option at this point, let’s put it that way. Harris is not great, but she lacks much of the baggage and hasn’t lost the confidence of the party.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
            19·
            2 months ago

            Don’t know that I could be pumped for Harris unless she pulls off some kind of “Crouching Empty Suit, Hidden Visionary” shit, but I could be pumped for her VP. Unfortunately, I suspect she’ll choose a ‘moderate’ old white Dem guy as her VP to ‘balance out’ that she’s an ethnic minority and a woman.

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            7·
            2 months ago

            I have two tracks for pumpedness:

            1. Political: Someone with progressive ideas in the White House to represent that portion of the party. Probably not going to happen.
            2. Capability: Someone who feels like a particularly competent messenger with some fight in them. It would be nice to have some Democrats who can competently and accurately tear up this whole fiasco of a political movement. This could happen.
    • spujb@lemmy.cafeEnglish
      9·
      2 months ago

      please please please (x5) (refrain) please please, yes please, (return to chorus) (bridge) please sir please (return to chorus x2)

    • Blaine@lemmy.ml
      35·
      2 months ago

      Not relevant. Trump voters don’t care about reality, while the rest of us do. If the Democrats want to be the party of sane, responsible voters they’ll need to put up a sane, responsible candidate.

      Be better than Republicans.

    • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
      20·
      2 months ago

      “Well Doc? What’s the verdict?”

      “Are you serious? We just talked about this. Do you not remember?”

      “Oh… I… I… yeah, I totally remember that… and those things were…”

      “Well, first of all, there’s the apparent memory loss. Then, as we just discussed, there’s the obvious dementia, as well.”

      “What? Dementia? I’m sharp as a rock, doc. Where did you get that? Show me my chart!”

      “Dude, for the last time, there is no chart. I’m not a doctor. This is a Denny’s!”

      “H-h-whut?”

      “And most people drink coffee out of those mugs, not the complementary maple syrup.”

      Update: Wow, a lot of people butthurt on the joke about the mental acuity of an 81 year old! Chillax people. I’d vote for a dead dog if it stood a chance against Trump. Doesn’t mean we take it to Westminister and demand a blue ribbon for how obviously healthy, active and beautiful the dog corpse is. Let’s acknowledge the absurdity of the reality we are in, please.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        13·
        2 months ago

        “And most people drink coffee out of those mugs, not the complementary maple syrup.”

        He must be a new waiter at Denny’s.

        • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
          7·
          2 months ago

          Nah. Drinking it from the mug is too classy for the average Denny’s clientele. Most drink it straight from the jug. And not waterfall into their mouth style. Mouth on spout style. Enjoy your breakfast.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
            5·
            2 months ago

            3 AM Denny’s is where it’s at, man. Eat fries and pancakes while watching the only other people in the restaurant play musical plates with their food.

    • 🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      2 months ago

      Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, wrote after the president’s physical in February that Mr. Biden is “a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”

      I mean, I definitely think he should step down, and the white house physician also said Trump was 6’2 200 lbs so…

      • Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee
        9·
        2 months ago

        White House physicians are basically captured medical professionals - they get INSANE access to not just the office, but a lot of the entourage and hangers-on. Yeah you can say no, but it’s a very competitive and prestigious posting that has no shortage of applicants.

        O’Connor came back after being Biden’s VP doctor, and has… conflicting interests when it comes to giving medical advice that might make his role redundant

  • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
    31·
    2 months ago

    Being geriatric is a medical condition.

    I hate that the choices in the next election mean I have to vote for him.

    • cheese_greater@lemmy.world
      14·
      2 months ago

      There need to be age-limits in place so never again

      Trump/Biden candidacies could have been entirely constitutionally gated against and we wouldn’t even be here. Probably same for Regan

    • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemm.eeEnglish
      3·
      2 months ago

      Did you know there are alternative voting systems in which a spoiler effect doesn’t exist? You should start demanding Ranked Choice voting from your state representatives.

      More democracy, Introduce competition into the electoral process, improve the quality of candidates across the political spectrum, and we could have more chances at defeating the Republicans. A complete win for the people.

      • TechAnon@lemm.ee
        1·
        2 months ago

        I agree with you that ranked choice voting is he answer, but we have to deal with what we have today. I see one party being a much easier path in progressing to ranked choice voting vs another so it’s a pretty easy vote on my behalf (among many, many other reasons) this time around.

  • crusa187@lemmy.ml
    29·
    2 months ago

    Ok!! This works. Take the test, announce the condition, and step down so we can stop stealing time from whoever the actual nominee is. Let’s gooo!

    • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemm.eeEnglish
      6·
      2 months ago

      You will vote for bed ridden Joe biden in a oxygen mask, and you will clap. If the clapping is not enthusiastic enough you will be ostracized from society.

      • glimse@lemmy.world
        3·
        2 months ago

        I haven’t really dove into his career but everything I heard about him is shockingly positive. I doubt it’ll happen but that will be the easiest vote of my life unless some shady stuff comes to light

    • souless@lemmy.world
      1·
      2 months ago

      It is embarrassing that American politics have become such a selfish individual vehicle for well intentioned leaders that end up corrupted the instance they join the upper tiers of our current national government.

      It is why neither party can present a better alternative candidate to a government that was built on the hopes of retaining an integrity to prevent the current shit show of a short term power grab happening now.

      While Americans are robbed of over half their hard earned income, our leaders don’t even care that we know they are stuffing their pockets to take away another one of our protections or weaken the dollar or screw over the working class to further extend their margins while keeping this well oiled system running uninterrupted with them staying at the top.

      Why are we settling for mediocrity, as the greatest economy in the world, in how our government is run? It is a puppet show at this point, our government seems like an archaic joke when measured up to what should be expected from modern humans who will work nearly a third of their life under the current system.

      We deserve better than to be treated as uneducated fools while our protections and quality of life slowly diminish at everyones expense except the ruling class. We are the fools thinking voting into an already corrupted system will change what is wrong at its fundamental level.

  • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    18·
    2 months ago

    You ever see someone at Biden’s age fall down? A great aunt of mine was the caretaker for her husband who had sever dementia. She bathed him, managed his meds, everything. She falls and breaks her hip, she was dead in a week. This is common with patients that old, anesthesia alone FUCKs them up for days. A slippery sidewalk is a medical emergency for someone Bidens age.

    • pastel_de_airfryer@lemmy.eco.br
      4·
      2 months ago

      I recall hearing in a podcast that sometimes their bones are so worn out that it’s the other way around, their hips just snap and they fall down

    • Senokir@lemmy.world
      39·
      2 months ago

      The difference is that being the nominee and potentially being elected again would entail 4 more years of being the president. It is possible to believe that Biden is currently capable enough to finish out this term while also believing that he is showing signs which indicate he might not be fit for another 4 years.

    • Zaktor@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      7·
      2 months ago

      Presidenting can be done by cabinet activity with decisions during specified times of day and delegated decision making during other times. Campaigning cannot.

      Plus, if Harris becomes president her VP would need to be confirmed, which requires Republicans, and if it wasn’t, we’re one assassination away from President Mike Johnson.

    • drcobaltjedi@programming.dev
      6·
      2 months ago

      Because he’s 81, and soon to be 82 in november. Getting him to january shouldn’t be a big deal. Getting him to January 2029 however, he’ll be 86. Can you name anything that might be not unexpected to happen to someone who is in their 80s? Why do you think a man who will be 86 when he leaves office (assuming he wins again) will still be operating at this same level now? Hell, he couldn’t get through a debate with trump a few weeks ago without clearly being an old person.

    • retrospectology@lemmy.world
      5·
      2 months ago

      Because he gave so few press conferences that people didn’t know what a vegetable he was. The failure of his mental capacity over the last year or two was carefully hidden from the public by his administration.

      The calls for him to step down are the calls for him to resign.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      1·
      2 months ago

      There were but they were quickly hushed by the adults in the room because there is a VP and she might be the one to replace him on the campaign trail. So they didn’t need smoke on the field.