President Joe Biden’s physician clarified on Tuesday that the president had not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical examinations, following U.S. media reports about a Parkinson’s specialist visiting the White House multiple times.
Biden’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, stated in a letter published on Monday that Dr. Cannard, a neurological specialist, examined President Biden only during his annual physicals. “Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical,” O’Connor emphasized.
O’Connor noted that Cannard had been visiting patients at the White House for over a dozen years and was not specifically chosen for being a movement disorder specialist.
This statement followed a contentious press conference where journalists questioned White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the frequency of Cannard’s visits. The New York Times reported that Cannard had visited the White House eight times since last summer, citing official visitor logs.
Jean-Pierre declined to address why Cannard had been visiting so regularly. However, O’Connor assured that the results of Cannard’s neurological examinations had been made public, most recently at the end of February.
The health report indicated no signs of strokes or Parkinson’s disease, and stated the president showed “no tremor, either at rest or with activity,” according to the letter.
Biden, 81, has faced increasing scrutiny regarding his mental fitness, especially since his TV debate with Republican challenger Donald Trump. This has sparked a national debate about whether Biden is the right Democratic candidate for the upcoming November election given his age.
Biden has dismissed doubts about his mental capabilities and refused to take a cognitive health test. The White House’s recent actions, including the release of O’Connor’s letter, appear aimed at dispelling rumors of potential Parkinson’s disease.
Jean-Pierre reiterated at the press briefing that Biden was not being treated for Parkinson’s.
