The White House engaged in a tense exchange with reporters on Monday over whether the administration had been candid about President Biden’s health, amid calls from some Democrats to block his reelection following his dismal debate performance.
Journalists grilled spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre at a press conference. Visitor log displayed The neurologist, who specializes in Parkinson’s disease, visited the White House eight times over an eight-month period, including meetings with the president’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor.
They also disputed Mr. Jean-Pierre’s account of whether Mr. Biden met with a doctor before or after the June 27 debate, where Mr. Biden repeatedly struggled to gather his thoughts and watched with his mouth open as former President Trump spoke. Aides at the time blamed his husky voice on a cold.
Monday’s briefing centered on questions about the report of his doctor’s visit for Parkinson’s disease and whether it related to consultations with or about the president.
In response, Jean-Pierre insisted on not revealing the name of the expert, Dr Kevin Canard, despite his name appearing on a public record of White House visitors, citing privacy and security concerns.
As Jean-Pierre answered questions, reporters chimed in, refuting her answers.
“We’re outraged at the way information is being shared with reporters around here,” CBS News correspondent Ed O’Keefe told Jean-Pierre, who pressed him on whether Biden had seen a Parkinson’s disease specialist.
“No matter how much they blame me, no matter how angry they are with me, I’m not going to reveal their names,” Jean-Pierre said. “It doesn’t even matter if they’re on the record. I’m not going to do that from here. What I can tell you is that the president has seen a neurologist three times for a medical checkup.”
She told reporters that Biden is not being treated or taking medication for Parkinson’s disease, and that his doctor had noted in a February medical examination that he was fit to serve and that a neurological exam found no signs of Parkinson’s disease, a stroke or any other illness.
Reporters also expressed frustration in the days after the June 27 debate that there was no clear answer as to whether Biden sought medical attention before or after the debate for a cold he caught during his stuttering performance.
Last Wednesday, Jean-Pierre responded “no” to a question about whether Biden had undergone any medical examinations. He also answered “no” to a question about whether the president had undergone any medical examinations since his last annual physical in February.
But last Friday, when asked about reports that Biden had told state governors he had undergone a medical examination, Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden had “verbally confirmed” that. In an interview with ABC News that evening, Biden implied that he had been tested for COVID-19 and had been infected, both of which came back negative. He did not say when the test was taken in the interview, but said that a doctor told him he just had a bad cold.
Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller began Monday’s press conference by asking Jean-Pierre about “the credibility of the White House speaking about the president’s health.”
Jean-Pierre said he “did not mean to mislead anyone” and suggested Biden was correct in saying he had not had a “medical exam.”
She also said she took issue with the tone of the briefings at times and was “angered” by people who suggested she was deliberately misleading.
“I appreciate the interaction that we’re all having. I try to be respectful of you, and I hope you try to be respectful of me, and we’re literally doing everything we can to get you answers,” she said.
NBC News correspondent Kelly O’Donnell, who also serves as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, told Jean-Pierre that reporters are “demanding clarity” amid widespread questions about the president’s health as he seeks reelection.
“One of the reasons we’re pressing here is because it’s not clear what happened and therefore the American public to whom we report doesn’t understand it,” she said.
In the fallout from the Biden-Trump debate, questions about Biden’s health have dominated campaign coverage, with several Democrats calling for him to step aside as a candidate, citing concerns about his electability and whether he would be able to campaign vigorously enough to beat Trump in November.
Biden and his aides have maintained a defiant stance that he has no plans to withdraw from the race. In an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” early Monday, Biden challenged party members who want to drop out of the race to launch a challenge at next month’s party convention.
