To the editor: The title of Karen Kaplan's article “What if Biden took a clinical trial?” should read “What if Trump were tested… clinically?” The media, including the much-admired Steve Lopez of the Times himself, are doing the country a great disservice by discussing this issue with an unbalanced and predatory focus on Biden's mental fitness.
We all watched an hour-and-a-half debate in which Trump went on and on about his pathological lies and delusions. It is true that Biden, well-intentioned and well-informed, had many moments of superiority, but he still demonstrated a deep understanding of the world order and events with empathy, compassion and determination.
The Los Angeles Times has published several articles about Biden's mental acuity. Instead, the media should demand that Trump undergo a thorough psychiatric evaluation and publish the results along with Biden's cognitive test.
The country and the world would be much better off with a well-meaning grandfather who could accidentally walk into the ladies' room, rather than a convicted felon.
Steve Pellegren, Los Angeles
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To the editor: What criteria should we adopt to test a presidential candidate? There are several types of memory to consider, including immediate, intermediate and long-term. There are ways to test judgment and intelligence. Of course, all eventual candidates will be tested, right? Both candidates for the 2024 election raise questions among voters about their competence to hold office. Let's examine the test results for both, with experts showing us the way.
Michael Gross, Woodland Hills
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To the editor: My stepmother is 90 years old and has lost her memory due to the lack of oxygen she suffered when her pacemaker ruptured eight years ago. She has passed with flying colors the cognitive test that Trump boasts about. It doesn't take a cognitive test to convince me that Joe Biden is eminently qualified to be President of the United States and that he can win in November with Kamala Harris as his vice president. He demonstrates his capabilities every day in the performance of his duties and through his relationships with voters and leaders around the world.
Deborah Mackey, Santa Clarita
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To the editor: The current turmoil over whether President Biden should drop out of the race for president is made all the more tumultuous by the fact that it is occurring in a political environment clouded by emotions, loyalties, competing ideologies, and political ambitions. We need the clouds to lift. We need clarity, now more than ever, so that Americans can make an informed decision about our leadership over the next four years.
During the pandemic, Democrats told us to “follow the science.” Well, that’s what we need to do now. Both Biden and Trump should undergo cognitive testing and make the results public. Leaders of both parties should demand it. There’s too much at stake to rely on two old men’s self-assessment of their mental fitness to lead the free world.
Michael Harrington, Laverne
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To the editor: It is deeply discouraging and worrying that the American people are supposedly facing a presidential contest that will feature two elderly, disabled men. Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in the debate turned talk of whether he had lost a “cognitive step” into a cry of alarm. As for Donald Trump, one only has to watch any of his political rallies or listen to him speak on any subject for any length of time to question his mental clarity and coherence.
The American people have a right to know how mentally and physically healthy a candidate is before they cast their vote. It is time for Congress to address this concern and pass a law requiring all presidential candidates who are above a minimum level in polls to disclose the results of their medical tests.
Ken Derow, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
