Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre admitted late Tuesday that President Joe Biden had been seen by Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease, during his physical examination at the White House on January 17. This admission came after Jean-Pierre initially denied any such evaluation had taken place during her regular briefing earlier in the day.
The revelation follows scrutiny over Biden’s health after his June 27 debate performance, during which he appeared confused. Jean-Pierre clarified that Cannard’s visit was one of three times he had seen Biden for his physical, and the findings from these exams were released to the public. According to a report from Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president underwent an “extremely detailed neurologic exam” which found no signs of any central neurological disorders.
Despite Jean-Pierre’s assurances, there has been public and media skepticism regarding the transparency of Biden’s health evaluations. Cannard had visited the White House eight times between July of the previous year and March, primarily seeing patients at the residence clinic. Jean-Pierre initially stated these visits were for treating military members, which raised questions about the nature of these consultations.
The issue came to light when CBS journalist Ed O’Keefe questioned Jean-Pierre about Cannard’s visits, resulting in a tense exchange. O’Keefe pointed out discrepancies in the information provided, leading Jean-Pierre to label the line of questioning as inappropriate and personal attacks as unacceptable.
