A prominent Fox News contributor drew attention on Friday following controversial remarks about President Donald Trump’s health and the recent congressional subpoena of former President Joe Biden’s physician.
During a broadcast segment with Fox host Kayleigh McEnany, political analyst Marie Harf addressed concerns surrounding Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician, who has been summoned to testify before Congress regarding the President’s health.
While speaking on the topic, Harf commented that prior reports about Biden have primarily focused on his physical condition.
“We all saw Biden’s physical health deteriorating in front of us,” she said during the live discussion.
A fellow panelist interjected, adding, “And mental,” referencing growing concerns over Biden’s cognitive state.
Harf responded by distinguishing between physical and mental health. “That’s a separate question. And I have not seen evidence presented by a doctor or someone else that would say that Joe Biden was not mentally able to do the job,” she said.
McEnany quickly countered, asking Harf, “Did you watch the debate?” referring to the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle, in which Biden’s performance was heavily criticized across party lines.
Visibly agitated, Harf replied, “That’s a different issue, Kayleigh,” and insisted, “That’s not a mental issue,” in an effort to defend her position, Trending Politics reported.
The exchange became even more heated as Harf drew parallels between Biden’s health issues and those of President Trump. This comparison triggered strong reactions from McEnany and other commentators.
Despite Harf’s insistence that no credible sources have confirmed mental unfitness on Biden’s part, multiple reports have raised serious concerns about the President’s memory and cognition.
A key example was found in a February 2024 report by Special Counsel Robert Hur. The report described Biden’s memory as “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” and “poor,” citing “significant limitations” that were apparent during the investigation.
According to Hur’s findings, Biden had trouble recalling major events in his life, including the death of his son Beau and his tenure as vice president under Barack Obama.
Media outlet Axios obtained audio recordings from those interviews, which captured Biden struggling to remember when Donald Trump was elected and why he had retained classified documents.
Hur ultimately concluded that these cognitive lapses were among the reasons Biden was not charged for possession of classified material after his vice presidency.
Additional concerns were detailed in the recent book Original Sin by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’s Alex Thompson. The book includes examples of Biden failing to recognize longtime colleagues and needing guidance during public appearances.
There have also been visible signs of physical decline. In June 2023, Biden tripped over a sandbag while attending a graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Separately, a Secret Service agent reportedly shared that Biden once mistook a closet for a hallway while appearing confused during a visit.
