The White House was forced to issue another embarrassing clarification after press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said a meeting between the president’s personal physician and a neurological specialist was unrelated to Joe Biden’s personal care.
In fact, it was part of Biden’s annual physical, she was forced to admit.
It is the latest blunder by officials as the country’s oldest president in history fights for his political life amid questions about his suitability for office.
The clarifications have sparked a growing sense that his advisers are not being entirely truthful with Americans about the 81-year-old’s health.
On Monday, Jean-Pierre had to explain why he said at a news conference that Biden had not been examined by his doctor after his disastrous debate performance, when in fact he had been seen by Dr. Kevin O’Connor.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was forced to issue another clarification on the president’s medical care on Tuesday night, reversing her previous response.
Then, a day later, he had to issue a statement admitting that Biden had met with neurologist Dr. Kevin Cannard for an exam despite having publicly said otherwise at a press conference hours earlier.
“As the date was not mentioned in the question, I want to make it clear that the meeting on January 17 between Dr. O’Connor and Dr. Cannard was for the President’s physical examination,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement to the AP.
“It was one of three times the President has seen Dr. Cannard, each time for a physical exam. The results of each exam have been made public.”
The White House has struggled to explain Cannard’s frequent visits to the White House since they became public over the weekend.
On Monday, Jean-Pierre refused to even confirm his name, citing security and privacy concerns, sparking fury from journalists who pointed out that the visits were recorded in visitor logs.
A day later, she still had doubts about the nature of his visits.
“Can you say whether that meeting (between Cannard and O’Connor) was related to the care of the president himself?” he was asked.
Jean-Pierre replied: “I can say no.”
His subsequent clarification will do little to ease the sense of crisis engulfing the White House or the feeling that its press operation is not selling its version of events.
Biden has been under intense pressure to end his reelection effort since he delivered a halting performance in last month’s debate, filled with awkward silences and nonsequiturs.
President Joe Biden, seen here at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, is fighting for his political life as his aides are accused of being less than transparent.
Dr. Kevin Cannard (left), a neurology expert, visited the White House eight times in eight months, including a meeting with Biden’s personal physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor (right).
George Clooney became the latest high-profile supporter to demand she step aside on Wednesday.
Biden’s health has dominated the daily White House press briefing, but on Monday it was Jean-Pierre who immediately came under scrutiny amid accusations that officials were not being fully transparent.
“My first question is about the credibility of this White House when it comes to talking about the president’s health,” Zeke Miller, former president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, told the Associated Press.
She insisted she had not intended to give misleading information when asked if Biden had gotten a checkup after the debate.
“I didn’t want to mislead anyone. I was still thinking about the medical exam. I was still thinking about the physical exam,” he said. “That’s how I answered the question.”
A memo released by the White House on Monday night after Jean-Pierre declined to discuss Cannard’s visits revealed that he was the neurologist who examined the president for his annual physicals for the past three years.
Things became more tense later, when he was asked why Cannard had made eight visits in eight months.
He said he could not comment for security and privacy reasons.
“You’re not answering a very basic, direct question,” CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe shouted.
“I’m telling you he’s seen a neurologist three times,” the press secretary said, explaining that he had been examined by a neurologist each time he had a physical. “So that’s answering that question.”
But what about Cannard’s visits? Were they what she was referring to?
“I’m listening, guys, wait a minute,” Jean-Pierre said.
“There’s no reason for you to continue attacking me in such an aggressive manner.”
It was only later that evening that the White House set the record straight, explaining that Cannard was indeed the doctor who performed the president’s neurological exam for his annual physical.
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