A former White House physician is speaking out after Dr. Kevin O’Connor, President Biden’s longtime doctor, refused to answer questions during a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee this week.
Dr. O’Connor, who served as Biden’s physician during his time in the White House, was questioned by committee staff and Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday. But in the 30-minute session, O’Connor invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination for every question except confirming his name.
O’Connor’s legal team argued the wide scope of the committee’s investigation risked forcing the doctor to violate patient-doctor confidentiality. But Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas — a former White House physician under Presidents Obama and Trump — said O’Connor can’t have it both ways.
“The Fifth Amendment is meant to protect someone from incriminating themselves in criminal or unethical behavior,” Jackson told Fox News Digital. “If this were only about patient confidentiality, he wouldn’t need to plead the Fifth. That tells you something.”
Jackson noted that O’Connor’s legal team had already raised concerns about confidentiality in prior correspondence, but that the committee was clear: since O’Connor was subpoenaed and Biden had waived executive privilege, those concerns didn’t apply in this case.
“He had no legal grounds left, except to plead the Fifth,” Jackson added.
Rep. Comer, who is leading the Oversight Committee’s investigation, said Jackson played a key role in shaping the questions for O’Connor’s testimony.
“We worked closely with Dr. Jackson, consulted medical experts, and had a list of detailed questions,” Comer said ahead of the interview. “This wasn’t a fishing expedition. We wanted clear answers about President Biden’s health and whether executive decisions were made without his full awareness.”
The committee is investigating allegations that top aides to Biden may have concealed signs of cognitive or physical decline during his presidency, and whether any presidential orders were authorized using an autopen without Biden’s full participation.
Jackson claims Dr. O’Connor is central to those concerns.
“The cover-up couldn’t have happened without his help,” Jackson said. “That’s likely why he pled the Fifth — to avoid implicating himself.”
However, O’Connor’s attorneys have strongly pushed back against those claims, saying their client is not guilty of any misconduct. They maintain his refusal to testify was based solely on protecting his ethical obligations as a physician.
In a statement, O’Connor’s legal team said the committee’s demands would have forced him to violate “one of the most well-known privileges in our law — the physician-patient privilege.”
“Revealing confidential medical information could cost Dr. O’Connor his license and open him to civil liability,” the statement read. “He will not break his oath of confidentiality for any patient — including the President.”
While some committee members had hoped to ask about possible cognitive evaluations or neurological concerns, those questions were largely left unanswered after O’Connor ended the interview early.
Tensions remain high between the White House and House Republicans as the Oversight Committee continues to dig into Biden’s medical history and decision-making process during his presidency. The investigation is part of a broader GOP push to challenge Biden’s fitness for office ahead of the 2026 midterms.
