rear President Joe Biden Following his address to the nation on Wednesday night, several doctors spoke to Fox News Digital to offer their opinions on his health based on his live speech.
Sitting in the Oval Office, the president spoke relatively briefly about his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and his commitment to continue serving his country in the coming months.
He recently COVID-19 infectionongoing concerns about cognitive abilities, or the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
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Dr. Mark Siegel, Clinical Professor of Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center And a Fox News medical source who has never treated the president noted that Biden appeared to be reading from a teleprompter as usual Wednesday night, making it difficult for viewers to gauge his health status.
Biden stumbled over his words at several times, but Siegel said he was more concerned by the president’s “lack of emotion.”
President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to end his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (Getty Images)
“It’s a very emotional time for him, but he’s not showing it,” the doctor told Fox News Digital after the speech. “He seems to lack conviction.”
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Siegel expressed concern that Biden “may be depressed and shocked by the reality of the situation today.”
“I feel sorry for him,” Siegel continued. “He quotes the manifesto. [of Independence] Without much conviction? I feel sorry for him and for us.”
“It’s a very emotional time for him but he doesn’t show it.”
Dr. Robert Lufkin, a California-based physician and professor at the UCLA and USC medical schools, also weighed in on Biden.
Lufkin said he hasn’t researched Biden but based his opinion on Wednesday’s speech and recent media events.
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A doctor told Fox News Digital that Biden had shown signs of “cognitive decline” at previous hearings.
“The facts uncovered in his previous announcement could have a number of causes. Lack of sleepwhich can lead to sedation, metabolic disorders and even neurodegenerative diseases.”
From left to right, Dr. Ernest Lee Murray, Dr. Mark Siegel and Dr. Robert Lufkin offered their thoughts on the president’s speech Wednesday night. (Dr. Ernest Lee Murray, Dr. Mark Siegel, Dr. Robert Lufkin)
Lufkin agreed that tonight’s brief presentation appeared to have been read from a teleprompter, “which is less demanding than the more spontaneous question-and-answer discussion format of his previous events.”
Lufkin noted that in previous speeches, including the June 27 debate, Biden has displayed behaviors such as “disorganized and incoherent speech, sudden pauses in mid-sentence, stuttering, and repeated use of the word ‘anyway’ in mid-sentence.”
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“We didn’t see that in his presentation tonight,” he said. “His presentation was uninterrupted and pretty even.”
Lufkin said the reason those results were less clear tonight could be due to the presentation’s spoken-word format and the use of a teleprompter.
Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. “This format is much less challenging and less likely to reveal pathology than a more rigorous question-and-answer or debate format,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (Evan Vucci via The Associated Press)
“This format is much less challenging and less likely to reveal pathology than a more rigorous question-and-answer or discussion format,” he continued.
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He said he hopes “through continued engagement with Mr. Biden in a variety of presentation formats, we will be able to gain a more detailed understanding of his situation.”
“I wonder if the stress of running for office and trying to be president is making his day-to-day cognitive abilities even worse,” said a neurologist who watched Biden speak on Wednesday night. Pictured above, the president returned to public view on Wednesday after spending nearly a week in isolation due to COVID-19. (Getty Images)
Dr. Ernest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Jackson, Tennesseesaid the Oval Office speech was “clearly better for Biden” than the debate, but also noted the president sometimes struggled to read from the teleprompter.
Murray did not treat or examine Biden.
“People with dementia can have difficulty reading simple texts,” he told Fox News Digital, offering his professional opinion on such cases in general.
The president at times struggled to read from the teleprompter.
” The Dementia Process “They have significant difficulty multitasking,” Murray said, again speaking generally.
“President Biden appeared more rested and relaxed tonight,” Murray said.
“The stress of running for office Becoming President “This is causing a further deterioration in everyday cognitive abilities.”
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In response to an earlier inquiry from Fox News Digital, the White House press office said “health was not a factor” in the president’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 race.
“The President looks forward to completing his term and delivering even more historic accomplishments for the American people,” the White House said in a statement.
