Sen. Roger Marshall questions Biden’s mental health, suggests annual cognitive test
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said Sunday he may sponsor legislation requiring President Joe Biden to take an annual mental test, suggesting that the President’s cognitive capacity is in decline.
“I think we’re all concerned for President Biden’s mental health,” Marshall said. “I think if you compare today’s films from some of his films even a year ago, you see a deterioration in his mental capacity. Maybe we need to be proactive.”
He said he was looking into filing legislation with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan that would require the president to take a mental test alongside his annual physical.
His comment came in response to a question from Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asking for his opinion as a medical doctor about whether Biden’s mental health is a security threat.
Marshall is an obstetrician, which means is specialty is women’s reproductive health.
The question comes after 38 Republicans in the House of Representatives — including Missouri Rep. Vicky Hartzler and Kansas Rep. Tracey Mann — sent a letter to Biden this week to express concern with his mental health, suggesting he is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
Biden, who is 79, was the oldest president to take the oath of office. He is younger than six U.S. Senators and the same age as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. There is no credible evidence that he has Alzheimer’s disease.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time a president’s mental health has been politically weaponized. During former President Donald Trump’s administration, some mental health professionals wrote op-eds and columns suggesting Trump was mentally unfit for office. Former President Ronald Reagan also endured claims he was in cognitive decline (he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease five years after leaving office).
The American Psychiatric Association considers it unethical for a psychiatrist to offer their professional opinion about the mental health of a public figure unless they have personally conducted an examination. Marshall is not a psychiatrist.
This story was originally published February 13, 2022 at 11:42 AM.