[As far as I recall, I think there is a requirement that a US President must be healthy. However, it is clear that Joe Biden's mind is quite f*cked actually. He definitely has some kind of brain damage. He did have aneurysms which were removed long ago. But here is a doctor who thinks that Biden is suffering from dementia. Whatever the cause, this guy is truly in dreadful shape. He probably should not be the US President on the basis of his mental health alone. But who cares about the rules right? This is an assessment of this dumber than a rock (FAKE CROOK) President! Jan]

The issue: A Republican U.S. representative from North Carolina has gone further than even President Donald Trump in questioning the mental state of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Greg Murphy, who represents much of Eastern North Carolina in the U.S. House, has said repeatedly in the last few weeks that Biden, the 77-year-old former vice president, has dementia.

Murphy is a medical doctor — a urologist. But experts at the UNC Department of Neurology said diagnosing dementia requires a comprehensive evaluation, including in-person tests.

Still,Murphy has posted versions of the claim at least four times on Twitter, saying Biden “obviously is fighting the ravages of dementia.”

Asked about it by The News & Observer on Monday, Murphy did not change his tune, adding that he’s only saying what the public thinks.

“The majority of American people believe he does have dementia,” Murphy said on a news conference the Trump campaign held by phone.

Polls do not back up Murphy’s assessment of Americans’ concerns about Biden’s mental state. In fact, more voters have questions about the 74-year-old Trump’s fitness for office, according to several recent polls.

Why we’re checking this: Many people are seeing claims about Biden’s mental state, whether suggestions in campaign ads or more explicit claims on Twitter, which now come with a congressman’s endorsement.

What you need to know: Murphy, a Greenville Republican, has not examined Biden, but he said he’s been in medicine for more than 30 years.

“Part of my job is to look, listen and make assessments,” he said Monday.

“He does have signs of dementia,” Murphy said.

Murphy said Biden is not “physically up or mentally up for the job.” He cited Biden’s speech patterns and said “I don’t think one has to be a rocket scientist” to see it.

A medical assessment for dementia, according to the National Institute of Aging, includes medical history, physical exam and neurological tests. It can also include cognitive tests, laboratory tests and brain scans.

Dementia is a brain disorder that results in declined cognitive performance, according to the UNC Department of Neurology. It can cause people to lose the ability to think, process or judge information. Dementia is the broader term for diseases of the brain including Alzheimer’s disease and others, according to the school.

“The diagnosis of progressive cognitive decline or dementia requires multiple assessments including a battery of neurocognitive assessments, laboratory tests, brain imaging and occasionally analysis of spinal fluid. It is not possible to make this diagnosis without performing a comprehensive evaluation,” the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology said in a statement it issued in response to questionsfrom the N&O about diagnosing dementia.

About 5% to 8% people over 65 have some form of dementia, according to UNC.

Murphy questioned why Biden would not take a dementia test. Trump has bragged about taking and passing a cognitive test, though experts have said the test is not considered definitive or even diagnostic, according to The New York Times.

“Why not take a dementia test?,” said Murphy. “If you don’t have it, prove to the American people you don’t.”

Source: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article245043195.html