President Joe Biden has introduced a handful of new things to his health routine over the past year, but none of which prevent him from fully serving in the White House, according to the president's doctor.
According to the president's annual health summary, which was released Wednesday, Biden began introducing Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy into his sleeping routine over the past year to address symptoms of sleep apnea. He has also started talking esomeprazole—an over-the-counter drug better known as Nexium—in the evenings to help with acid reflux, and he had a root canal procedure in June.
All in all, the president's physician Kevin O'Conner wrote in the summary that Biden is "a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency."
The Context
Biden's annual health exam has been highly anticipated ahead of the 2024 election. At 81 years old, he is the oldest president to have held office. If he is reelected in November, Biden would be 86 at the end of his second term.
White House officials and allies of the president have tried to downplay concerns about Biden's age and mental capacity, but even some Democrats are torn on the issue. Republican primary front-runner and former President Donald Trump, who is 77, has said that Biden is not "too old" to be president, "he's too incompetent."
What We Know
According to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden's physician assessed during his checkup that the president "doesn't need a cognitive test." The president also joked with reporters after his exam that his doctors told him that he looks "too young."
Wednesday's health summary comes on the heels of Special Counsel Robert Hur's report regarding the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents, which depicted the president as an "elderly man with a poor memory." The president and others in his administration have adamantly rejected the report's findings.
Views
Republicans often harp on Biden's public gaffes during speeches and events as a sign that his mental health is in decline. Democrats, however, have pointed out that Trump is guilty of making similar mistakes.
Polls consistently show that Americans believe that both candidates—who are likely to appear on the November ballot for their respective parties—are too old to run for a second term. In a recent survey conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, 61 percent of voters said that they agree or strongly agree with the statement that "President Biden is too old to seek a second term as president." In that same poll, 40 percent of the public agreed or strongly agreed that Trump is too old to run in November.
According to Cliff Young, president of public affairs at Ipsos, polling often shows that "Biden is really the one that is seen as having an age problem."
"Republicans are much more critical of Biden's age than Democrats are critical of Trump's age," Young previously told Newsweek.
Still, Biden's camp is assured that the president is ready for another four years. First lady Jill Biden wrote in an email to supporters in the days following Hur's report that Biden "is 81, that's true, but he's 81 doing more in an hour than most people do in a day."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign via email for comment on Biden's health summary on Wednesday.
What's Next?
Several Democrats, including prominent strategists like David Axelrod, have raised fears that voters' perception of the president's age could cause issues in November. Biden has also lost some support among his electorate on specific policy issues, such as his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
But the president's reelection bid remains largely unchallenged, and Biden has repeatedly dismissed concerns about his health.
"My memory's fine," the president said during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday. "Take a look at what I've done since I became president ... How did that happen? I guess I just forgot what was going on."
Update 02/28/24, 6:31 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.
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Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
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