Fact-check: Did White House physician call for Biden's resignation?
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Viral Facebook post: “White House physician demands Biden’s immediate resignation following his ‘obvious’ cognitive decline.”
PolitiFact's ruling: False
Here's why: Misinformers frequently share video clips of President Joe Biden with his actions or comments taken out of context — implying that he shakes hands with thin air, or portraying him as confused. Now, a social media post falsely suggests someone with official access to Biden’s medical information is calling for him to resign.
"White House physician demands Biden’s immediate resignation following his ‘obvious’ cognitive decline," says an April 30 post on Facebook.
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.
The post, which does not cite or link to a source for its claim, mischaracterizes who has called for Biden’s resignation.
The current White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said in November that Biden is fit to carry out his duties. O’Connor’s assessment followed a full medical evaluation. There is no evidence, such as news reports, that O’Connor has expressed concern about Biden’s cognitive abilities.
However, U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, who was the White House physician under former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump and is now a Republican representing Texas’ 13th Congressional District, has called for Biden’s resignation, saying he has declined cognitively.
Jackson was the subject of a years-long investigation by the Department of Defense, which found that he "made ‘sexual and denigrating’ comments about a female subordinate, violated the policy on drinking alcohol on a presidential trip and took prescription-strength sleeping medication that prompted worries from his colleagues about his ability to provide proper medical care," the Associated Press reported in March 2021.
Jackson and other Republican lawmakers have demanded that Biden take a cognitive assessment. Their efforts are part of a years-long campaign by Trump and his allies to paint 79-year-old Biden as weak and senile.
Our ruling
A Facebook post says, "White House physician demands Biden’s immediate resignation following his ‘obvious’ cognitive decline."
The post misleads about who has called for Biden’s resignation; it is not the current White House physician. The current physician has said Biden is fit to carry out the duties of his office.
The demand came from a former White House physician, who is not Biden’s doctor and who has joined a chorus of Republican voices that try to paint Biden as senile.
We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
Associated Press, "Pentagon probe slams ex-White House Dr. Jackson’s behavior," March 4, 2021
Daily Wire, "Obama White House Doctor Calls For Immediate Biden Resignation: ‘Not Cognitively Capable Of Leading,’" March 12, 2022
New York Post, "Dozens of Republicans again call for Joe Biden to take cognitive test," Feb. 9, 2022
New York Times, "Biden Declared ‘Healthy’ and ‘Vigorous’ After His First Presidential Physical," Nov. 19, 2021
PolitiFact, "Biden was gesturing towards his audience, not shaking hands with ‘thin air,’" April 19, 2022
PolitiFact, "‘Cheap fakes’: Viral videos keep clipping Biden’s words out of context," Feb. 14, 2022
PolitiFact, "How misinformers manufacture and embellish embarrassing presidential moments," April 12, 2022
PolitiFact, "Ronny Jackson," accessed May 3, 2022
Washington Post, "Ronny Jackson said Trump aced a cognitive test. Now he’s demanding Biden take one, citing ‘mental impairment,’" June 18, 2021
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fact-check: Did White House physician call for Biden's resignation?
