Biden undergoes annual medical checkup amid criticism of his age and health: "They said I look very young"

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, underwent an annual medical check-up this Wednesday, amid criticism of his age and questions about his state of health ahead of the November presidential elections.

After the examination, carried out by White House internist Kevin O'Connor, Biden joked before the press about the results, which will be publicly announced this Wednesday. “They said I look very young,” said the 81-year-old president, adding that the exam went the same as last year's.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre has also stated that the doctor was satisfied with the results. “The president does not need a cognitive test. And this is not my opinion, it is the opinion of his doctor and that of his neurologist (…) He undergoes a cognitive test every day, when moving from one topic to another,” he said in a press conference.

Jean-Pierre has insisted that Biden has been able to carry out his work in the last three years and that “we must not forget that he is leading a historic Presidency.” Both the Republican opposition and some members of his own party have questioned the state of health of the president, who aspires to obtain the Democratic nomination for this year's presidential elections.

The allegations were reinforced after a special counsel report studying Biden's handling of classified documents stated this month that he showed a “significantly limited memory” during interrogations in 2023.

The special prosecutor, Robert K Hur, assured that Biden did not remember the dates on which he held the Vice Presidency and that he had difficulty remembering the date of his son Beau's death, which was in 2015.

The medical report following last year's annual check-up concludes that Biden was in good health and “fit” to continue holding office. “He is a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old man capable of successfully carrying out the duties of the Presidency, including the tasks of head of the Executive, head of State and commander in chief,” the White House doctor stated then.