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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
MAGA Calls for the Head of Biden's White House Doctor
The MAGA faithful are accusing Joe Biden's White House physician of concealing the former president's prostate cancer diagnosis, and they are demanding that he be subpoenaed. Dr. Kevin O'Connor, an osteopath, attested to Biden's health for more than a decade as his physician. He said in February 2024 that the then-president was a 'healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.' Biden, now 82, is now fighting for his life with Stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. The former president's office said he was diagnosed after a small nodule was found in his prostate during a routine physical exam this month. His late-stage prognosis, as well as a spate of mental lapses in his final year in office, has led MAGA to allege that O'Connor intentionally concealed Biden's health concerns. President Donald Trump's ex-national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, said Tuesday that House Speaker Mike Johnson should 'immediately subpoena' O'Connor. 'Ask if he ever did a cancer screening,' Flynn posted on X. 'When he pleads the 5th or mentions 'executive privilege'—that's all you need to know.' MAGA commentator Benny Johnson described the situation as the 'most dangerous cover-up in the history of the presidency.' 'You're telling me that the best doctors and testing on earth did not *find* Biden's cancer in all these years of testing?' he questioned on X. 'Was every medical report a lie? For how long? Bulls--t... They knew. They lied. They hid it. For power. People need to be held accountable for this. Evil.' A spokesperson for the Biden family did not respond to emailed questions sent by the Daily Beast. O'Connor is a retired U.S. Army colonel who joined the White House's medical team during the Bush administration. He was appointed to be Biden's physician in 2009, when he was vice president, and O'Connor worked with the Biden family during Beau Biden's battle with brain cancer. He is a doctor of osteopathic medicine, meaning he is not an MD. Osteopaths have a full scope of practice in the United States but cannot prescribe medication or perform surgery in Australia or the United Kingdom. Both Trump's current and former White House physicians are osteopaths. Trump's first-term physician, now-Rep. Ronny Jackson, was criticized by Democrats for fawning over the president in medical assessments, including stating in 2018 that Trump had 'incredibly good genes' and could live to 200 if he had a better diet. Jackson did not hold back when criticizing his successor this week. 'This is either outright MEDICAL MALPRACTICE or a COVER-UP—plain and simple!' he posted to X. 'The White House medical team is the BEST in the world, and the blame lies squarely on Joe Biden's personal doctor—a known liar: Dr. Kevin O'Connor.' On Fox News, Jackson told Sean Hannity, 'I want to know, Sean, did he get diagnosed years ago, and have they been treating this behind the scenes without us knowing about this? That's a distinct possibility.' Jackson, 58, was demoted from being a real admiral to a captain in the U.S. Navy in 2022 after a Department of Defense probe found substantiated evidence of misconduct during his tenure as Trump's physician, which included allegations he made sexual comments about a subordinate and inappropriately drank alcohol with subordinates. He no longer has an active civilian medical license, but he still delivered care to Trump after he survived an assassination attempt last summer. Republican skepticism of O'Connor goes back years, partly because he has been described as a longtime friend of the Biden family. Even before Biden revealed his cancer diagnosis, there had been growing attention on his health after excerpts of Original Sin, a book that went on sale Tuesday, alleged his cognitive abilities had slipped significantly by 2024 and that the media failed to cover it adequately. The latest questioning of O'Connor's professionalism came from the very top of MAGA. 'I think that if you take a look, it's the same doctor that said that Joe was cognitively fine, there was nothing wrong with him,' Trump said Monday. 'If it's the same doctor, he said there was nothing wrong there. That's been proven to be a sad situation.' The president added, 'I think the doctor said he's just fine, and it's turned out that's not so. It's very dangerous. This is dangerous for our country. Look at the mess we are in.' Trump said he doubts Biden's cancer snuck past the doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Instead, he suggested it was O'Connor's negligence or sneakiness. 'Why did it take so long? I mean, this takes a long time. It can take years to get to this level of danger,' Trump said of Biden's late-stage prognosis. 'It's a very, very sad situation. I feel very badly about it. And I think people should try and find out what happened.' Other conservatives have been more explicit in saying they want a head to roll for how Biden's health was managed in the White House. 'He needs to be brought in, he needs to be subpoenaed, and he needs to answer some of these questions,' Fox News pundit Jesse Watters said of O'Connor during his show Monday. 'Who knows if [Biden] even got tested. He was supposed to have had a full test a year ago, and they said there was no cancer detected. Well, we need to know exactly what tests they did.'
Fox News
6 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Key Biden staffers asked to testify on alleged role in mental decline ‘cover-up'
Print Close By Peter Pinedo Published May 27, 2025 House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is demanding several high-ranking staffers in former President Joe Biden's White House appear for transcribed interviews on their suspected roles working "behind the scenes" to "cover up" the former president's significant mental decline during his term. Comer, who leads the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent interview requests to four key Biden White House aides — former director of the Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden, former assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini, former senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former deputy director of Oval Office operations Ashley Williams. Comer said that all of these high-ranking staffers worked "behind the scenes" and "ran interference for President Biden" to avoid his worsening condition from being discovered during his time in office. BIDEN AIDE INTIMIDATED REPORTER INVESTIGATING FORMER PRESIDENT'S MENTAL DECLINE WITH 'TACIT THREAT:' BOOK The chairman has also requested a transcribed interview with Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. Comer told Fox News last week that these "unelected bureaucrats" had an overwhelming influence over Biden and were possibly serving as "de facto" presidents in his stead. "Today, we are calling on President Biden's physician and former White House advisors to participate in transcribed interviews so we can begin to uncover the truth," Comer said in a statement. The GOP effort comes shortly after the release of "Original Sin" by CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, which claims that the Biden White House was going all out trying to control the perception of the aging president's failing health. The book exposes the cover-up of Biden's decline and his decision to run for re-election. Tapper said during an interview with Piers Morgan on Monday that what Biden's aides did to hide his condition from the public could be "even worse" than the Watergate scandal during Richard Nixon's presidency. "It is a scandal. It is without question, and maybe even worse than Watergate in some ways," said Tapper. "The only reason we invoke Watergate is just to make clear like, it's not Watergate — this is an entirely separate scandal, maybe even worse." CREDIBILITY CRISIS: WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS SPEAK OUT ON WHETHER BIDEN'S MENTAL DECLINE WAS DELIBERATELY HIDDEN In his letters, Comer said that while the committee has been investigating the cover-up for nearly a year, "newfound details regarding President Biden's obvious decline demand renewed scrutiny of White House personnel actions and knowledge of relevant information over the course of the prior administration." Comer said the committee is seeking "to understand who made key decisions and exercised the powers of the executive branch during the Biden Administration." "The cover-up of President Biden's obvious mental decline is a historic scandal," he said. "The American people deserve to know when this decline began, how far it progressed, and who was making critical decisions on his behalf." Recalling the Oversight Committee's previous attempts to subpoena these staffers, Comer said that "the Biden White House blocked these individuals from providing testimony." Now, he said that "any continued obstruction will be met with swift and decisive action." If the staffers and physician do not honor his request, Comer said the "next step" will be issuing subpoenas, compelling them to testify. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On Tuesday, Comer floated the possibility of also issuing subpoenas to former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre as well as Hunter Biden and Jill Biden. "Obviously, we're interested in Jean Pierre. … We're also interested in Jill Biden and Hunter Biden," he said, adding that "if the trail leads us to the next step, which many believe would be perhaps Jill Biden and Hunter Biden, then we will go there." Fox News Digital reached out to Tanden, Tomasini, Bernal, Williams, O'Connor and Jean-Pierre for comment. Print Close URL
Fox News
7 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Biden's presidential health reports showed no sign of recently revealed aggressive cancer
Former President Joe Biden's official health reports during his White House tenure did not show signs of aggressive prostate cancer, a Fox News Digital review of the health documents shows. Biden, who suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988 that nearly claimed his life, received clean bills of health in 2021, 2023 and 2024, according to former White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor's annual reports on the president's state of health. Biden was scheduled to receive a physical by the end of January 2023 but delayed the evaluation due to a busy travel schedule, the White House reported at the time. The former president had a roughly 15-month period between his 2021 physical and one conducted in February 2023. Fox News Digital reviewed the three reports posted by the White House in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and found that there were no signs indicating aggressive prostate cancer was on the horizon for the 46th president — though concerns over skin cancer were a common theme throughout the three reports. Biden's White House physician released the president's first annual health report in November 2021, declaring Biden a "healthy, vigorous" man. "President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief," O'Connor wrote in the 2021 report. The report included routine screenings of Biden's heart, eyes and teeth, as well as his occasional gastroesophageal reflux. The report noted that Biden also underwent "routine" screenings for both colon cancer and skin cancer. Biden had multiple "localized, non-melenoma skin cancers removed" ahead of his presidency after spending a good deal of time in the sun as a youth, the report stated, but that there were "no areas suspicious for skin cancer" during the 2021 physical. The report did find that Biden was increasingly "throat clearing" and coughing during public events. O'Connor stated that Biden had long cleared his throat or coughed during speaking engagements, but such coughing or throat clearing "certainly seem more frequent and more pronounced over the last few months." O'Connor said gastroesophageal reflux was likely the culprit behind Biden's coughing after conducting multiple lung, oxygen and biological tests. The report also noted that Biden's gait had become noticeably more stiff, which the doctor said required a "detailed investigation." The stiffened gait was attributed to Biden's wear and tear on his spine and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet, which O'Connor said could be addressed with physical therapy and exercise. O'Connor released details on Biden's second physical as president on Feb. 16, 2023, roughly 15 months after the release of his first presidential physical. The delay between the health assessments was attributed to the president's busy schedule. Biden was notably also diagnosed with COVID-19 in July 2022 during the interim period of his first and second physicals. Biden was reported to have mild symptoms that July and was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid. The February 2023 physical report found that Biden was in good health and "fit" to serve as president. "President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency," O'Connor wrote in his 2023 health memo. The report found that Biden's gait had remained stiff since his last physical, though the issue had not worsened. The report overall found that his heart, lungs, eyes and teeth were all in good health. Biden underwent routine skin cancer surveillance, which found a small lesion on the president's chest that required biopsy. The lesion was removed just a couple of weeks later without issue, a follow-up memo from O'Connor states. "As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma," Biden's doctor wrote in a memo after the lesion was removed. "All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage at the time of biopsy. No further treatment is required." The 2023 physical health report also provided updates on Biden's COVID-19 recovery, which the White House doctor said went smoothly in part due to Biden receiving the coronavirus vaccine and two booster shots before the infection. The report on Biden's final physical examination as president was released Feb. 28, 2024 and again found the president in good health and able to serve as president. "President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief," the most recent memo stated. Again, vital organs such as the heart and eyes received a clean bill of health, while Biden's stiff gait did not worsen in the interim since 2023, though the doctor noted "arthritic changes" that were moderate to severe. O'Connor reported that he conducted a neurological exam and determined that no cerebral or neurological issues were compounding the president's stiff gait. The test did support previous findings of peripheral neuropathy of the feet, the report stated. The 2024 physical additionally noted that the lesion removed from Biden's chest the year prior needed no additional treatment, as basal cell carcinoma typically does not metastasize. The report added that Biden had been using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine when sleeping after he showed symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. The president had previously reported similar symptoms in 2008 and 2019, O'Connor stated, but that they subsided after sinus and nasal passage surgeries before his presidency. He also underwent a root canal that year with no complications. Dr. O'Connor has overseen Biden's health since 2009 and built a close relationship with the president and his family, Fox News Digital previously reported. "I have never had a better commander than Joe Biden," O'Connor said in a profile interview with his alma mater, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, when Biden served as vice president. "All politics aside, he approaches his craft with such honor. He's 100 percent 'family first.' He's 'genuinely genuine.'" O'Connor overwhelmingly remained out of the spotlight during Biden's tenure until the spring of 2024, when speculation mounted among both conservatives and Democrats that the president's mental acuity was slipping, with pundits and the media subsequently demanding to hear directly from O'Connor on the state of Biden's health. The White House physician is affectionately known to Biden and his family simply as "Doc," and was requested by Biden in 2009 to stay on as his physician after serving in the White House Medical Unit under the President George W. Bush administration, according to the profile. O'Connor was first appointed to the White House Medical Unit in 2006 for what was intended to be a three-year military assignment, according to his profile published by the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, from which he graduated in 1992. Instead, "Vice President Biden asked O'Connor to stay on," the profile continues. O'Connor complied, marking the beginning of their doctor-patient relationship that has reportedly evolved into a close relationship with the president's large family. Biden's 2017 memoir, "Promise Me, Dad," features the president reflecting on his close relationship with "Doc," including O'Connor joining the family on their annual vacation to Massachusetts' Nantucket in his capacity as the White House physician and balking at the family's "browsing extravaganza" on the island. The White House medical unit always travels with a president to best protect his health and safety. The physician's relationship with the family seemingly grew closer, according to the memoir, when the president's son, Beau Biden, was diagnosed with brain cancer — which ultimately claimed his life in 2015. "Doc was good with Beau, who was still trying to get his bearings in those first few days. Real fear was starting to creep in. Sometimes Beau would grab him when everybody else was out of earshot to get his honest assessment," Biden wrote in the memoir. "'Whatever it is, this is bad,' he told Beau, 'but we're gonna find out what it is. And once we find out what it is, we will have a plan.'" "'Promise?' Beau asked." "'Promise.'" In another excerpt, Beau Biden requested O'Connor "promise" to take care of his father if he should die. "'Seriously, Doc. No matter what happens,'" Beau Biden said to O'Connor, according to the book. '"Take care of Pop. For real. Promise me. For real.'" Back in 2018, Joe Biden's sister-in-law, Sara Biden, described O'Connor as a "friend" who provided medical advice to members of the Biden family beyond the eventual commander in chief. "Colonel O'Connor was actually a friend and he — we would frequently ask for his recommendations if any of us had a medical issue, so it was not uncommon to ask him if he had a recommendation," she said in a deposition related to a New York state medical malpractice case involving her daughter, Fox News previously reported. Biden's office announced May 18 that the former president had been diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer, which set off concern that such a cancer should have been discovered sooner. "Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms," Biden's team shared in a statement. "On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone." "While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management," the statement said. "The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians." Physicians have remarked that they are "shocked" that the cancer had not been discovered sooner. "Thank God they found it. (Biden is) a fighter. He's been through a tremendous amount in his life… with his son, with (his) wife, with (his) daughter," Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel said May 19. "Two aneurysms, atrial fibrillation. He's been through a lot health-wise, but I am absolutely shocked that they didn't find this earlier." A spokesperson for Biden confirmed to Fox News on May 20 that Biden's last known prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which screens a patient for prostate cancer, was conducted in 2014. "President Biden's last known PSA was in 2014," a Biden spokesperson told Fox News. "Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer." Biden posted to X on May 19 in his first message since publicly revealing the diagnosis to thank supporters. "Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places," Biden wrote on X, accompanied by a photo with former first lady Jill Biden. "Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Joe Biden's doctor and top staff pressured to explain 'cover-up' of his mental state after 'obvious' decline
A top Republican-led committee is ramping up its investigation into the 'cover-up' of former President Joe Biden 's mental decline. Several former top Biden White House aides have been summoned by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) to appear for transcribed interviews. Comer's investigation is doing a deep-dive into the alleged cover-up of Biden's mental decline as well as allegations of potential unauthorized usage of an autopen during the former president's White House tenure. Chairman Comer called Biden's 'obvious' decline a 'historic scandal' in a statement to the Daily Mail. 'The American people deserve to know when this decline began, how far it progressed, and who was making critical decisions on his behalf,' Comer noted. In particular, Biden's longtime White House physician is at the center of scrutiny. MAGA loyalists led by Fox News host Jesse Watters have set their sights on Dr. Kevin O'Connor, demanding he be subpoenaed and forced to answer questions on the record about Biden's health. 'He needs to be brought in, he needs to be subpoenaed, and he needs to answer some of these questions,' Watters said earlier this week. He's at the top of the list according to Comer, who said he's calling on physician and former White House advisors to 'participate in transcribed interviews so we can begin to uncover the truth.' 'In the last Congress, the Biden White House blocked these individuals from providing testimony to the Oversight Committee as part of the effort to cover-up Biden's declining health.' The top former Biden White House staff being called to testify by the committee include: Kevin C. O'Connor, former President Joe Biden's White House doctor • Dr. Kevin O'Connor, President Biden's Physician • Neera Tanden, Former Director of the Domestic Policy Council • Anthony Bernal, Former Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the First Lady • Annie Tomasini, Former Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff • Ashley Williams, Former Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations Neera Tanden on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 10, 2021 Three of the individuals - Tomasini, Bernal, and Williams - had been subpoenaed by the Oversight Committee during the previous Congress. At the time, the Biden administration blocked the subpoena and did not make the president's aides available for depositions or interviews. Biden's former Attorney General Merrick Garland also blocked a request from Chairman Comer for audio records from the investigation into President Biden's mishandling of classified documents by Special Counsel Robert Hur. 'Any continued obstruction will be met with swift and decisive action. The American people demand transparency and accountability now,' said Chairman Comer. The vast nature of the 'cover-up' of former President Biden's mental state is the subject of a new book Original Sin in which an individual alleged to have had an inside view of the internal dynamic at the Biden White House is quoted as saying 'five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.'
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Biden's doctor lied about cancer or is incompetent, says Obama medic
A former presidential doctor has accused Joe Biden's White House physician of lying or being incompetent after the 82 year-old was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer last week. Ronny Jackson, who treated Barack Obama and also Donald Trump during his first term, is now a hardline Republican congressman. He echoed questions among allies of Mr Trump about whether those in Mr Biden's circle knew more than they were letting on about his health. 'I think there's a probability here that they knew he [Biden] had prostate cancer some time ago and just didn't tell the American people,' he told the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news site. He singled out Mr Biden 's doctor of more than 15 years for either missing the diagnosis or hiding it. ' Dr Kevin O'Connor either lied to the American people or he's incompetent,' Dr Jackson said, adding that he had tested both Mr Obama and Mr Trump. He also said he feared Mr Biden had between 12 and 18 months to live following the diagnosis, but added that it was not his area of medical expertise. Dr O'Connor has become the focus of anger in Maga circles following the announcement by Mr Biden's office on Sunday that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage-four cancer. In a statement, a Biden spokesman said the cancer had been detected after the former president saw a doctor for urinary symptoms. The timing could not have been worse, just ahead of publication of Original Sin, a book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which claims to lay out who knew what about Mr Biden's growing frailty in office, and his decision to ultimately drop out of the election race last year. Following the announcement about Mr Biden's diagnosis, conspiracy theories have emerged questioning whether the president, who can call on the very best medical expertise, and his family already knew he had cancer long before the public statement. Mr Trump appeared to suggest a cover-up, saying when asked about the diagnosis on Monday: 'I think it is very sad, actually. I am surprised that the public wasn't notified a long time ago.' Prostate guidelines Mr Biden's aides have tried to clear up any suggestion that they had prior knowledge of the diagnosis, or withheld information. Several doctors pointed out that health guidelines recommend against testing for prostate cancer in men over 70. An aide of Mr Biden's also said the former president's last medical check for prostate cancer had been in 2014. Dr Jackson frequently questioned Mr Biden's fitness for office during his four years at the White House. He called repeatedly for the then president to take a cognitive screening test and make the results public, and accused Dr O'Connor of being less than transparent about his health. However, his standing was undermined when his Navy rank was reduced from admiral to captain after a Pentagon inspector general found he had berated subordinates in the White House medical unit, took the sleep drug Ambien while on duty and drank alcohol inappropriately with subordinates. After the final routine medical examination of Mr Biden's presidency, Dr O'Connor declared him to be a 'healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male'. Dr O'Connor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
