Joe Biden’s former chief of staff is said to have called for the president to undergo a cognitive assessment following a troubled debate against Donald Trump. Jeff Zients reportedly suggested a full medical work-up, including a mental examination, after Mr Biden appeared confused and struggled to articulate his thoughts on stage. According to reports, Mr Zients noted that the president had begun to slow down and found it difficult to recall key details.
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During the June debate last year, Mr Biden was frequently incoherent and struggled to complete sentences. Under pressure from members of his own party, he subsequently ended his re-election campaign, allowing Vice-President Kamala Harris to run in his place. Mr Zients told the House of Representatives’ oversight committee in closed-door testimony that he did not observe “mental freezes” at the White House itself but acknowledged Mr Biden had trouble remembering dates and names.
Despite claims from the campaign that Mr Biden was simply unwell with a cold, Mr Zients is reported to have privately asked White House physician Kevin O’Connor to conduct a cognitive exam among other medical tests. Dr O’Connor, alongside several aides, previously invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid committee questioning. Mr Biden, however, declined to undergo a formal mental assessment, insisting that he completed a “cognitive test every single day” as commander-in-chief.
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Since leaving office in January at 82, multiple reports have surfaced regarding the former president’s declining mental acuity. Sources have claimed he struggled to recognise long-time aides and even actor George Clooney. Some senior figures, such as former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, have disputed these accounts. A source close to Mr Zients added that the chief of staff had “full confidence in President Biden’s ability to serve” and emphasised that “final decisions were made by the president alone, drawing on a wide variety of advisers and experts.”
