The White House has issued clarifications after press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre initially stated that a meeting between President Biden's physician and a Parkinson's disease expert was unrelated to the president's care. The meeting, according to the White House, was for a neurological exam as part of Biden's annual physical.
The White House has found itself in a cleanup mode after press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's statement that a meeting between White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor and Dr. Kevin Cannard, a renowned neurological and Parkinson's disease expert, was not related to President Biden's care. However, the White House has since clarified that the Jan. 17 meeting at the White House was for a neurological exam of Biden, the results of which were later reported as part of his annual physical more than a month later.
Biden's Neurological Exam Confusion: White House Clarifies Doctor's Meeting
At Tuesday's White House press briefing, a reporter from The Associated Press sought clarification on a letter sent Monday night by O'Connor, which did not explicitly describe the nature of Cannard's meeting with O'Connor. Jean-Pierre initially responded that the meeting was not related to the president's care.
Jean-Pierre insisted that she had already confirmed from "behind this lectern" that three meetings occurred and that the doctor was a "neurologist," though not Cannard's name until O'Connor released it Monday. She claimed that she needed permission from Cannard and the president before disclosing that information.
Biden's Neurological Exam Confusion: White House Clarifies Doctor's Meeting
However, in a later statement, Jean-Pierre attributed her initial confusion to the question not mentioning the date. According to the visitor logs, the Jan. 17 meeting was the only one between O'Connor and Cannard between July 2023 and March 2023, a period that has come under scrutiny due to Cannard's eight visits to the White House during that time frame.
The other seven visits by Cannard listed Megan Nasworthy as the visitee. Jean-Pierre proactively followed up with the AP to provide the information voluntarily.
Biden's Neurological Exam Confusion: White House Clarifies Doctor's Meeting
This clarification is not the first instance where the White House has needed to clarify answers regarding Biden's health following his debate performance, which raised concerns about his fitness to serve. Last week, Jean-Pierre stated that Biden "did not get checked out by the doctor" for a cold during a debate, but Biden later said he had been checked out after the debate. Jean-Pierre clarified that she meant Biden did not get a full medical exam but had a "check-in" with his doctor, which he does a couple of times a week.
Jean-Pierre acknowledged that she and other White House press aides are doing their best to provide information, but sometimes they "get it wrong" or lack information. She added, "I will be the first one to admit: Sometimes I get it wrong. At least I admit that."
Biden's Neurological Exam Confusion: White House Clarifies Doctor's Meeting
Jean-Pierre's clarification also highlights that parts of Biden's annual physical, typically conducted at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, can be performed over a longer period rather than just one day at the hospital.
When O'Connor released the results of Biden's physical on Feb. 28, he wrote that "an extremely detailed neurological exam was again reassuring in that there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy." The letter did not mention the date or location of the neurological exam.
Cannard's expertise in movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, attracted attention due to his frequent presence in the White House visitor logs. However, Jean-Pierre definitively stated this week that Biden has not been treated for Parkinson's disease and is not currently taking medication for it.
Cannard has been the neurology consultant to the White House medical unit for 12 years and regularly holds neurology clinics at the White House to support the thousands of active-duty members assigned there.
The repeated clarifications and corrections regarding Biden's health have fueled concerns about the administration's transparency and accuracy in communicating Biden's fitness to serve as president.
