In a recent appearance on Fox News, former White House physician Rep. Ronny Jackson defended former President Donald Trump's mental acuity, dismissing concerns raised by critics who highlighted Trump's recent gaffes on the campaign trail. Jackson went on to praise Trump's sharpness while expressing concerns about President Joe Biden's cognitive decline.

Trump, who is vying to reclaim the White House, addressed the accusations on his Truth Social platform, claiming that he intentionally mixed up the names of President Biden and former President Barack Obama in his speeches. According to Forbes, Trump has made this mistake at least seven times in the past few months.

The campaigns of President Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is currently trailing Trump in the Republican nomination race, have utilized social media platforms to highlight Trump's errors. DeSantis' campaign, in particular, shared a series of Trump's "confused moments" in a thread on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing why they believe Trump should not participate in debates.

During his appearance on Fox News, Jackson echoed host Sean Hannity's assessment of Trump's mental acuity, stating that there has been no decline and that Trump's memory surpasses the average person's. However, Jackson expressed contrasting views on Biden's cognitive decline, referring to it as "dangerous" and "an embarrassment."

Newsweek has reached out to Jackson for further comment via email, and both the Trump and Biden campaigns have also been contacted for response.

In response to the criticism, Trump took a swipe at DeSantis in his Truth Social post, accusing him of seizing on Trump's sarcastic remarks about mixing Biden and Obama's names to suggest cognitive impairment. Trump clarified that he knows both names well and believes they are contributing to the destruction of the country.

Recent gaffes and physical stumbles by President Biden have fueled concerns about his ability to run for a second term. According to a poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos in mid-September, 77 percent of respondents, including 65 percent of Democrats, said Biden is too old for the presidency. Only 39 percent believed Biden was mentally sharp enough for the role. In comparison, 56 percent of respondents noted that Trump was too old, while 54 percent believed he remained mentally sharp.

A poll conducted by The Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in August revealed that most Democrats believe both Biden and Trump are too old for another term, while Republicans tend to believe Biden is too old but not Trump.

As the debate surrounding the mental sharpness of presidential candidates intensifies, the assessments of medical professionals and public opinion will continue to shape the narrative leading up to the next election.