5 Texas Republicans again call for Biden to take cognitive test
WASHINGTON (KFDX/KJTL/KXAN) — Texas Representative Ronny Jackson (TX-13) on Tuesday sent a letter renewing a call for President Biden to undergo immediate cognitive testing.
Jackson, who served as White House physician under former presidents Bush, Obama and Trump, before being elected to represent Texas' 13th Congressional District, expressed concerns with Biden's ability to effectively hold the position of Commander-In-Chief.
"I was a White House physician to three U.S. Presidents, and I can tell you something isn’t right with Joe Biden's cognitive state," Jackson said in a recent Facebook post.
In the letter, Jackson referred to mistakes the President made during recent press conferences, including a recent "hot mic" incident with a reporter, as potential warning signs for, or symptoms of, Alzheimer's. Peter Doocy, who was the subject of the "hot mic" incident, later said on Fox New's "Hannity" that the president had called him after the incident to discuss the matter, NBC News reported.
"He cleared the air and I appreciated it. We had a nice call," said Doocy on "Hannity."
In a health summary released in November 2021, Biden's physician, Kevin C. O'Connor, said the president remained "fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations." A 2019 report put out by O'Connor had previously called Biden "healthy, vigorous" and "fit to execute the duties of the presidency."
Jackson isn't alone in his concerns, collecting nearly 40 supporting co-signatures from fellow Republican representatives, including Rep. Pat Fallon and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
"The American people have continuously lost faith in your ability to effectively and competently handle your duties as President of the United States," Jackson said to Biden in the letter.
Polling data released by Politico in November appeared to show a near split among voters on the congressman's claim. When asked if the president is mentally fit, 46% of voters agreed compared to 48% that disagreed. The margin of two points is a sharp decline from the 21-point margin in a similar poll from October 2021.
This isn't the first time Jackson has called for President Biden to be evaluated. He sent a similar letter to the president in June 2021 after what Jackson referred to as “a clear decline of Biden’s cognitive ability."
Jackson's first letter had 13 supporting signatures. His most recent letter had 37, five of which were from Texas representatives.
Co-signers of the letter Rep. Jackson sent the President Tuesday include GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21), RSC Chairman Jim Banks (IN-03), GOP Conference Vice Chairman Mike Johnson (LA-04), and Representatives Jason Smith (MO-08), Joe Wilson (SC-02), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Brian Babin (TX-36), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Andy Harris (MD-01), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Greg Murphy (NC-03), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Randy Weber (TX-14), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Steven Palazzo (MS-04), David Rouzer (NC-07), Claudia Tenney (NY-22), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Jody Hice (GA-10), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Greg Steube (FL-17), Kevin Hern (OK-01), Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Madison Cawthorn (NC-11), Kat Cammack (FL-03), Jerry Carl (AL-01), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Tracey Mann (KS-01), Mary Miller (IL-15), Barry Moore (AL-02), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Burgess Owens (UT-04), and Beth Van Duyne (TX-24).