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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former President Joe Biden's White House physician, is facing calls to testify under oath after Biden announced on Sunday that he had been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer.
O'Connor could not immediately be reached for comment.
Why It Matters
Biden's age and health were among the chief issues for voters during the 2024 presidential race. The 82-year-old dismissed concerns about his mental acuity, but ultimately dropped his bid for a second term following a disastrous debate performance in June 2024. He was replaced as the Democratic nominee by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Donald Trump.
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Just four months before the debate, O'Connor oversaw Biden's annual physical exam and wrote in a memo that Biden "continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations."
But questions have been raised about the Biden administration and campaign's transparency about Biden's age and cognitive ability. An upcoming book by CNN's Jake Tapper alleges White House aides covered up Biden's physical and mental decline.
However, there is no current publicly available indication that Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer during his tenure as president.
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What To Know
Biden's office disclosed on Sunday that he had been diagnosed on Friday with Stage 4 prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
Prostate cancers are graded for aggressiveness using what is known as a Gleason score. Scores range from 6 to 10, with higher scores indicating more aggressive cancer. Biden's office said his score was 9, suggesting his cancer is among the most aggressive.
The news raised questions about why the cancer wasn't detected earlier, but Trump and some allies have also questioned whether Biden was diagnosed earlier than revealed, and whether the information was hidden from the public.
The president told reporters on Monday that it was "a very sad situation," adding that he was surprised it was not disclosed "a long time ago" and that doctors who examined Biden while in office were "not telling the facts."
Some have called for O'Connor to be subpoenaed to answer questions about what tests were carried out while Biden was in office.
"We need answers from Dr O'Connor. What did he know and when did he know it? He can't miss a cancer diagnosis and cognitive decline and then go into hiding," Fox News' Jesse Watters said on his show.
He added that Republicans "need to impanel a joint committee, hold hearings and subpoena the insiders and doctors who orchestrated the biggest coverup in modern American history."
Right-wing influencer Benny Johnson also called for O'Connor to be subpoenaed, writing on X: "Ask if he ever did a cancer screening. When he pleads the 5th — that's all you need to know."
Some doctors told Newsweek they were surprised at the late-stage cancer diagnosis, while others said aggressive cancers "grow quickly" and are sometimes not detected by a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a breast oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania, said on MSNBC's Morning Joe that Biden likely "had this for many years, maybe even a decade, growing there and spreading."
He said it was surprising Biden was not given a PSA test, adding that "if he took it and didn't report it and it was elevated, that is another case of doctors not being straightforward with us."
What People Are Saying
Former President Joe Biden, Monday on X: "Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."
President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday: "I think it's very sad actually. I'm surprised that the public wasn't notified a long time ago."
He added: "If you take a look, it's the same doctor that said that Joe was cognitively fine there was nothing wrong with him...and that's being proven to be a sad situation... in other words, there are things going on that the public wasn't informed, and I think somebody is going to have to speak to his doctor."
Representative Ronny Jackson, Trump's former White House physician, on X: "Sad and unfortunate and I wish the former President the best in his treatment of this cancer. Care at the White House should be second to none. Unbelievable this was missed, but the truth is, his physician was more concerned about assisting with the political cover up than providing world class medical care."
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters: "It seems to me entirely inappropriate that at this moment in time when President Biden is dealing with a serious and aggressive form of cancer, there are Republicans who are peddling conspiracy theories and want us to look backward, at a time when they actually are taking health care away from the American people."
What Happens Next
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced last week that he is resuming an investigation into what he called the cover-up of Biden's mental decline and use of an autopen.
The committee previously issued subpoenas for three White House aides and requested an interview with O'Connor, but the Biden White House declined to make them available. It is unclear if Republicans will seek to subpoena O'Connor and ask him questions relating to Biden's cancer diagnosis.
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