Former US President Joe Biden's personal physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, invoked his Fifth Amendment right (under the US Constitution) during a closed-door congressional hearing on Wednesday, refusing to answer any questions about Biden's health and mental condition. Zamon.uz reported on this.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Republican James Comer (Kentucky) called this move "unusual" and stated, "This confirms a major cover-up regarding the president's health."
O'Connor was asked two key questions:
"Have you ever been pressured to lie about the president's health?"
"Have you ever believed Joe Biden was unfit to perform his duties?"
He declined to answer both questions, citing the Fifth Amendment.
The committee even posted a clip of Dr. O'Connor's brief closed-door hearing on social media with the caption, "What are they hiding?"
Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, a physician who worked in the White House during Barack Obama's presidency, noted that these questions do not violate medical confidentiality (HIPAA) laws and said O'Connor could have answered them.
"I don't think these questions involve specific medical details," said Kuhlman. He has previously advocated that "annual mental health tests should be mandatory for presidential fitness."
Republican Congressman Ronny Jackson (a former military physician):
"Dr. O invoking the Fifth Amendment shows he knows Biden is unfit for the presidency and is now trying to protect himself."
Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (Texas):
"I've worked as a criminal defense attorney. What he did is legally correct. If he had spoken about the patient's (even a former president's) health, he could have lost his medical license."
Congress is attempting to determine who was truly in charge during Biden's presidency. A book released on May 20, 2025, titled "Original Sin," claims that a small advisory group called the "Politburo" made decisions in the White House.
In this context, Biden's former aides—Ashley Williams (July 12), Annie Tomasini (July 18), Ron Klain (July 24), Steve Ricchetti (July 30), Mike Donilon (July 31), and Bruce Reed (August 5)—are being questioned before Congress.
