Republicans demand Biden’s doctor sits for interview about president’s medical assessments

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Louise Thomas

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House Oversight Committee chair James Comer has demanded Joe Biden’s doctor sits for an interview about his medical assessments and potential business dealings with the Biden family, amid the escalating controversy around the president’s mental and physical well-being.

In a letter addressed to Dr Kevin O’Connor on Sunday, the Republican lawmaker wrote that he is “concerned your medical assessments have been influenced by your private business endeavors with the Biden family.”

He asked Dr O’Connor to sit for a closed-door interview and hand over any communications he may have had with James Biden, the president’s brother, regarding Americore – a now bankrupt healthcare business.

Comer is giving the doctor until July 14 to contact staff to schedule the interview.

A White House spokesperson dismissed the letter as “crazy, discredited conspiracy theories” when reached for comment.

“Here they go again, pushing their crazy, discredited conspiracy theories in order to score another hit on Bartiromo,” the spokesperson told The Independent.

“If extreme House Republicans want to take a look at a White House physician, here’s an idea for where to start,” they added, pointing to a The Washington Post article about former president Donald Trump’s former personal physician Ronny Jackson, titled: “‘No prescription needed’: Inside a White House clinic’s ‘systemic problems’”.

Comer’s letter arrives as the president’s dismal debate performance last week triggered growing doubts about his competency to successfully run for and serve a second term.

In a February report, Dr O’Connor indicated the president underwent “an extremely detailed neurological exam” that produced “no findings consistent which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder”.

But Comer said he’s concerned the doctor has not issued a cognitive test to the president after his debate performance.

The letter tries to suggest that Dr O’Connor may have provided a more positive medical exam because he provided counsel to James Biden about Americore before the president entered office – a connection to a separate, and so far failed, impeachment inquiry investigation led by Comer focused on the Biden family’s business dealings.

So far, that investigation is yet to find any evidence the president was involved with his brother James or son Hunter’s foreign business dealings or that his actions warrant impeachment.

Now, Comer’s demand to Biden’s physician marks the first official move from a lawmaker to investigate the president’s mental and physical health after the debate.

Though the president says he is fit to run for office and defeat his Republican opponent in November, several Democratic lawmakers have also expressed concerns.

So far, five House Democrats have publicly called for Biden to step aside from the 2024 race – with a higher number joining those calls behind closed doors on Sunday.

Biden, meanwhile, is refusing to do so.