Book Reveals Biden’s Team Declined Cognitive Test Amid Age Concerns
Washington, D.C. – May 4, 2025 – A forthcoming book has revealed that in February 2024, President Joe Biden’s top White House aides debated whether to have the then-81-year-old president undergo a cognitive test to demonstrate his mental fitness for a second term but ultimately decided against it. The disclosure, detailed in “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America” by Tyler Pager of The New York Times, Josh Dawsey of The Wall Street Journal, and Isaac Arnsdorf of The Washington Post, underscores the deep concerns within Biden’s inner circle about public perceptions of his age and mental acuity.
According to the book, Biden’s aides were confident he would pass a cognitive test but feared that the mere act of taking one would fuel new questions about his mental capabilities, reinforcing voter doubts. The decision came weeks before Biden’s final White House physical exam in February 2024 and followed a period marked by public scrutiny over his age, amplified by a special counsel report from Robert K. Hur. The report, which investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents, described him as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” intensifying concerns about his fitness for office.
The book’s account, first reported by The New York Times, highlights the delicate balancing act Biden’s team faced as they navigated his re-election campaign. Public polls, including a Bloomberg/Morning Consult survey from early 2024, showed 82% of voters believed Biden or both Biden and Donald Trump were too old to serve, compared to 47% for Trump alone. Despite these concerns, Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, maintained that a cognitive test was unnecessary, a stance echoed by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who argued Biden’s daily presidential duties served as a de facto cognitive assessment.
The decision to forgo the test preceded a series of damaging public moments, including Biden’s widely criticized debate performance against Donald Trump in June 2024, where he appeared confused and struggled to articulate responses. The fallout from the debate, coupled with ongoing questions about his mental sharpness, contributed to Biden’s eventual withdrawal from the re-election campaign in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Posts on X on May 4, 2025, reflected mixed sentiments, with some users criticizing Biden’s team for avoiding the test, suggesting it was an attempt to conceal cognitive decline, while others argued the decision was strategic to avoid amplifying age-related narratives. The book, set for release in July 2025, is expected to provide further insight into the internal dynamics of Biden’s White House during a pivotal election year. A representative for Biden declined to comment on the report.