During Thursday evening's presidential debate, President Joe Biden exhibited signs of struggling with his delivery, including clearing his throat and coughing multiple times. These symptoms have been attributed to acid reflux, a condition that Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, has previously addressed. According to Dr. O'Connor, Biden experiences occasional symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, particularly the need to clear his throat more frequently, which tends to worsen shortly after meals. To manage this condition, the president takes Pepcid in the morning and Nexium in the evening for acid control.
In addition to his battle with acid reflux, Biden has also been open about his struggle with a stutter, which he acknowledged publicly. At a town hall in February 2020, Biden shared that he still occasionally stutters, especially when he is fatigued. He emphasized that stuttering is not indicative of one's intelligence or intellectual capacity, attributing it to factors such as confidence and the need to avoid rushing in speech.
