Former physician of President Biden declines to respond to inquiries during House Republican investigation
The current status of the House Republican investigation into President Joe Biden's health is centred around the refusal of Biden's former White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, to testify fully before the House Oversight Committee.
During a closed-door deposition on July 9, 2025, Dr. O'Connor invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and cited doctor-patient privilege, declining to answer substantive questions about Biden's mental fitness and whether there was any cover-up regarding his health.
Dr. O'Connor's attorneys explained that this refusal was due to the complex legal circumstances surrounding the investigation, including a Justice Department inquiry ordered by former President Trump into whether individuals conspired to mislead the public about Biden's mental state. They emphasized that asserting the Fifth Amendment does not imply any wrongdoing by Dr. O'Connor.
Republican members of the committee, led by Chairman James Comer, sharply criticized the refusal, accusing Dr. O'Connor of concealing the truth about Biden's health and whether he was fit for office. Comer specifically stated that O'Connor took the Fifth when asked if he was told to lie about Biden's health.
Democrats countered by framing the probe as politically motivated, accusing Republicans of focusing obsessively on Biden's health rather than other oversight priorities, such as lowering costs for American families or investigating former President Trump’s alleged corruption.
The invocation of the doctor-patient privilege asserts the confidentiality of communications between a physician and patient, which generally protects sensitive medical information from disclosure. Combined with the Fifth Amendment right, this has effectively stalled the committee's ability to obtain detailed testimony from Dr. O'Connor on Biden's health during his presidency.
The investigation's progress has been significantly hindered by Dr. O'Connor's legal protections, raising constitutional and professional privilege issues, while fueling political tensions between Republicans pressing for transparency and Democrats dismissing the inquiry as partisan.
It's worth noting that President Biden has strongly denied that he was not in a right state of mind at any point while in office, calling the claims "ridiculous and false." Additionally, the Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the use of the autopen, but the details of this investigation are not specified in the article.
The Associated Press article was written by Brown and Price.
[1] Brown, A., & Price, J. (2025). House Oversight Committee Investigation into Biden's Health Hits Roadblock. Associated Press. [2] Brown, A. (2025). Dr. O'Connor Invokes Fifth Amendment, Doctor-Patient Privilege in House Testimony. Associated Press. [3] Price, J. (2025). Oversight Committee Accuses Dr. O'Connor of Concealing Biden's Health Information. Associated Press. [4] Brown, A. (2025). Democrats Dismiss Oversight Committee's Investigation into Biden's Health as Partisan. Associated Press.
- The complex legal circumstances surrounding the House Republican investigation into President Biden's health, which includes a Justice Department inquiry, have brought up discussions about the intersection of law, politics, and general news.
- The refusal of Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former White House physician, to testify fully before the House Oversight Committee, citing his Fifth Amendment right and doctor-patient privilege, has highlighted the importance of understanding policy-and-legislation surrounding healthcare and law.
- The ongoing investigation into President Biden's health has led to heated debates in politics, with Republicans emphasizing transparency over Biden's mental fitness and Democrats countering that the probe is politically motivated, possibly influencing the future of California's political landscape.
- The financial implications of this controversy are yet to be fully understood, but the ongoing investigation could impact Biden's presidency and future political decisions, especially regarding war-and-conflicts and other international issues.
- In the midst of these controversies, it's essential to remember the general news report that President Biden strongly denies any claims about his mental state while in office, and another investigation into an unspecified matter concerning the use of the autopen is being conducted by the Department of Justice.
