WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden had a routine medical checkup Thursday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a keenly watched exam as the oldest president in history makes plans for an expected reelection campaign.
Biden was at the hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, for about three hours before leaving by helicopter shortly after noon for the White House. The White House was expected to release a letter later Thursday that would discuss the results.
Biden, 80, last had a standard medical exam in November 2021. During that five-hour-plus visit, he went through a combination of blood, physical, gastrointestinal, dental, vision and neurological tests. Afterward, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s primary care physician since 2009, signed a six-page memo that called Biden “healthy, vigorous,” and deemed him “fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”
Many people, including Democrats, have expressed reservations about Biden seeking a second term in 2024. Only 37% of Democrats say Biden should pursue reelection, down from 52% before last November’s elections, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Overall, 22% of U.S. adults said he ought to run again.