The White House is now doing damage control following reports that Joe Biden’s personal physician met with a prominent neurologist and Parkinson’s specialist at the White House.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, met with Parkinson’s specialist Dr. Kevin Cannard and two others on January 17. New York Postt reports.
Cannard is a movement disorders specialist at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland.
This added to speculation about Biden’s health, which has been in doubt since his disastrous first debate with Donald Trump, and press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added fuel to the fire on Monday by saying the president has seen a neurologist three times.
On Monday, O’Connor posted a letter with the permission of both Biden and Cannard and confirmed that Cannard had been the neurologist who evaluated the president in each of his three physicals since taking office.
The White House is now doing damage control following reports that Joe Biden’s personal physician met with a prominent neurologist and Parkinson’s specialist at the White House.
On Monday, Dr. Kevin O’Connor released a letter with permission from both Biden and Cannard, confirming that Cannard had been the neurologist who evaluated the president in each of his three physicals since taking office.
But most of Cannard’s visits to the White House were in his role as a specialist attached to the White House Medical Unit, where he treated patients with a wide range of neurological problems for a dozen years, O’Connor said.
He said Cannard “has conducted regular neurology clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active duty service members assigned to support White House operations.”
“Many military personnel experience neurological problems related to their service, and Dr. Canard regularly visits WHMU as part of this General Neurology practice,” which may explain some of the visits,” he added.
Cannard made similar trips to the White House during the Obama administration, according to visitor logs, and during the Trump administration, which did not release visitor logs, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Cannard had a visit with Biden’s personal physician in January at the White House residence clinic, weeks before the president’s physical in February.
O’Connor repeated that the findings of that physical examination did not detect signs of any neurological disorder.
“President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical exam,” O’Connor said in her letter.
He also endorsed Cannard for his work at the White House during his appearances.
Cannard is a movement disorders specialist at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland.
The White House declined to say whether they met with Biden during the meeting, but the president was in DC at the time.
“Dr. Cannard was chosen for this responsibility not because he is a movement disorders specialist, but because he is a highly trained and highly respected neurologist here at Walter Reed and throughout the Military Health System, with a broad range of experience that makes him flexible in caring for a variety of patients and problems,” he said.
Cannard has held his position at Walter Reed for nearly 20 years.
He has served as a “neurology specialist supporting the White House Medical Unit” since 2012, according to his LinkedIn.
Biden is battling criticism from some Democrats who say he lacks the mental acuity to run as their candidate against Trump in the Nov. 5 presidential election.
The revelation comes amid growing scrutiny over the president’s mental state following his car-crashed debate with rival Donald Trump.
Biden, 81, has sought to dispel rumors that he is unfit to lead and still says he will run in November’s election but has declined to say whether he undergoes regular, official cognitive testing.
“Look, I have a cognitive test every day,” Biden said when asked by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday, referring to the tasks he faces daily in a rigorous job.
“I’m put to that test every day. In everything I do. You know, I’m not just campaigning, I’m running the world.”
Records show the president was at the White House on the day of the January doctors’ meeting, as it took place the same day he hosted House and Senate leaders to persuade them to support additional funding for Ukraine.
Biden was given a clean bill of health by his doctor during an annual exam in February, which ruled out Parkinson’s disease, O’Connor said at the time.
He became the president’s physician in 2021 and has contact with him every day.
Following the debate, the White House said Biden had a verbal interview with his doctor.
But questions about his competence remain, especially after his first interview since the disastrous June 27 debate did little to calm fears.
Several Democrats had called on Biden to drop out of the race after the debate and reiterated this call after yesterday’s ABC interview.
He accused the president and his wife of trying to cover up his mood.
“I think he and Jill Biden led the cover-up,” Jackson said.
“Kevin O’Connor is like a son to Jill Biden: she loves him. It’s crazy.”
“Kevin O’Connor was in that position from day one of the Biden administration because they knew they could trust Kevin to say and do whatever needed to be said or done and cover up whatever needed to be covered up. He’s part of the Biden family.”
At times, Jean-Pierre struggled to make himself heard amid a cacophony of questions about the 81-year-old president’s health.
She confirmed he had been examined three times by a neurologist, but declined to say why a Parkinson’s disease specialist visited the White House eight times in eight months, citing privacy and security concerns.
But that simply set off an uproar in the usually docile front row of journalists who bombarded her with demands for a proper explanation.
