WASHINGTON — President Biden was examined by Dr. Kevin Canard, a neurologist who specializes in Parkinson’s disease, at the White House on Jan. 17, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed late Tuesday, hours after telling reporters the opposite at a regular briefing.
The clarification came just a day after Jean-Pierre rebuked journalists who had grilled her for providing misleading information about whether Biden had received a medical diagnosis following his disastrous June 27 debate performance that prompted Democrats to call for his resignation.
“Since no date was mentioned in the question, the meeting on January 17th [presidential physician] doctor [Kevin] “The meeting between Dr. O’Connor and Dr. Cannard was for a medical examination of the president,” Jean-Pierre told The Associated Press, whose reporter was asking Jean-Pierre directly about the only meeting between Dr. Cannard and Dr. O’Connor that is recorded in the White House visitor log, which was first reported by The Washington Post last Saturday.
“The president has seen Dr Canard three times, each time for a medical examination. The results of each examination have been made public,” Jean-Pierre said.
Earlier Tuesday, Kim Seung-min of the Associated Press told Jean-Pierre, “That one meeting [between Cannard and O’Connor] Did it have to do with caring for the president himself?”
Jean-Pierre replied, “I can say that it is not.”
Cannard visited the White House eight times over an eight-month period between July of last year and March of this year, but O’Connor suggested in her Monday night letter that he visited to treat military personnel, though he frequently visited the Executive Office Clinic in the basement of the White House, rather than a separate, larger medical facility in the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
Cannard’s findings after examining Biden were included in a physical examination report released by O’Connor on February 28, which said the president underwent a “very detailed neurological examination.”
“[T]”There were no findings consistent with cerebellar or other central nervous system disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or ascending lateral sclerosis, and there was no sign of cervical myelopathy,” the report said.
Jean-Pierre’s latest revelations have prompted the postponement of what the White House is calling Biden’s latest neurological exam, with doctors and politicians openly speculating about Biden’s cognitive prognosis.
The spokesperson’s retraction came despite an outcry from reporters over her initial refusal to explain Candid’s visit and her flat denial last week that Biden had “undergone any kind of medical exam” after the debate, where a confused Biden made comments including, “We finally won Medicare for Medicare.”
A different White House spokesman later clarified that “a few days after” the debate, “the President went in for a check-up on his cold and is doing well.”
Jean-Pierre rebuked CBS reporter Ed O’Keefe during a tense press conference on Monday, saying: [Cannard] I went to the residence clinic.”
“Wait a moment. There’s no need to interact with me in such an aggressive manner,” Jean-Pierre said in a sanctimonious tone.
“Well, we’re a little upset that information about him was shared with the press,” O’Keefe responded.
“What did you miss? [sic] About? What do you miss? [sic] “About what?” she cried, before asserting, “Every time I come back, I’ll answer the questions you all ask.”
“And if you get the answer wrong, you have to come back a few days later and correct it,” O’Keefe retorted.
At a later briefing, Jean-Pierre said the questioning had been inappropriate.
“Personal attacks are [sic] “It’s not okay,” she said.
White House colleagues widely viewed Jean-Pierre as unprepared before press conferences and disinterested in major news details, and Anita Dunn, a White House communications adviser, tried unsuccessfully last fall to persuade him to step down ahead of an election year.
