Parkinson's expert visited White House 8 times in 8 months, met with Biden's doctor - ABC News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The White House said Biden has been evaluated by a neurologist only three times.
ByMary Bruce, Katherine Faulders, and Justin Gomez July 8, 2024, 4:26 PM
An expert on Parkinson's disease visited the White House eight times over an eight-month span between last July and March of this year, including one visit with the president's personal physician, according to White House visitor logs.
The doctor, Kevin Cannard, is a neurologist and "movement disorders specialist" who works at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. According to the logs, prior to July 2023 he had visited the White House only once -- in November 2022.
The White House would not confirm if he was advising on the president's personal care, saying only in a statement "a wide variety of specialists from the Walter Reed system visit the White House complex to treat thousands of military personnel who work on the grounds."
MORE: House Oversight Committee requests interview, documents from Biden's physician
Asked repeatedly at Monday's briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to say if the neurologist ever treated the president or consulted on his care, citing privacy concerns, but did say Biden was not being treated for Parkinson's disease.
ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce pressed Jean-Pierre on reporting about Cannard's visit with the president's personal physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor.
"You're refusing to say if he was here to evaluate the president or if he was consulting on the president's health. So, what then was that meeting about?" Bruce asked.
Jean-Pierre said she would not elaborate on the meeting "because we will not confirm or speak to names that you're providing to me. It is out of security."
A view of the White House in Washington, July 8, 2024.Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
As part of his annual physical exam, the president was evaluated by a neurologist who found no signs of Parkinson's, according to a summary O'Connor released in February.
"An extremely detailed neurologic exam was again reassuring in that there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy," his report states.
Overall, the February report stated Biden, 81, continued to be "fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations."
Jean-Pierre repeatedly pointed to Biden's three previous physicals during the press briefing, and read aloud from the February report that said there were no findings that would be consistent with Parkinson's or another neurological disease.
"So, to give you some answers here, has the president been treated for Parkinson's? No," Jean-Pierre said on Monday. "Is he being treated for Parkinson's? No, he's not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson's? No. So, those are the things that I can give you full-blown answers on."
MORE: Biden won't commit to independent cognitive test when asked in ABC News interview
The president has been adamant that his doctors have not recommended any cognitive testing, insisting in an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that he passes a cognitive test every day.
"Every day I have that test," Biden said. "Everything I do. You know, not only am I campaigning, but I'm running the world. Not -- and that's not hi-- sounds like hyperbole, but we are the essential nation of the world."
Stephanopoulos pressed Biden repeatedly if he would be willing to take a cognitive test and release the results publicly, but Biden declined to commit to such a course of action.
"Watch me between -- there's a lotta time left in this campaign," the president said.
Biden will be closely watched on the world stage this week as NATO leaders come to Washington, and some are deeply concerned about the president's ability to run the country for another four years, according to an informal adviser to the Biden administration who has been speaking to NATO leaders.
"He's getting slower; he's having a harder time hearing; he's having a harder time processing; He doesn't have the energy he used to," the source said. "They're concerned about the president's ability to run a presidential schedule. You've got to be 'on' all of the time. Biden today is not that."
ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler and Selina Wang contributed to this report.
I know Trump has his issues, but this seed is about Biden. Please keep it to that. Trump is off-topic.
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Not saying for sure he’s got Parkinson’s. Maybe the doc just likes to pop by for whiskey and a cigar.
Maybe even a snort or two, like you said who knows? Interesting who he was listed as visiting though.
You don’t need to be a doctor to recognize dementia. Parkinson’s or otherwise.
Bidens has it. He’s had the signs for some time.
No doubt about it.
Are you a diagnostician? I'm 6 years older than Biden and post continuously on NT - can you tell whether or not I'm suffering from dementia?
My position was made clear. One doesn’t need to be a doctor to recognize dementia. I’ve personally spent nearly a decade dealing with Parkinson’s/dementia with family members. Have you?
That said, if you were in the public as much as Biden has been, yes, I bet I could. A few posts here and there doesn’t even come close to offering that up though.
A few posts here and there? LOL There are some here who may differ about that.
Of course I don't forget that I didn't tell you something and then accuse you of ignoring it. I wonder if THAT could be a sign of dementia.
By the way, Michael J. Fox has suffered from Parkinson's for many years, and he's able to handle it okay.
No offense but an actors job and the Presidents job are much, much different. And Michael Fox is very limited in his abilities to act since he contracted Parkinson’s.
It’s awful to watch and live with. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
If we had been watching you on TV for 40+ years - like we have with Biden - I'd think we'd notice the difference. Whatever it is specifically, is really beside the point.
He is impaired. He struggles mightily just to carry on a conversation, much less be President of the United States. And you don't need to be a doctor to see that.
Well, this problem isn't any skin off my teeth, but IMO there are a lot of people in the USA who would rather see a vegetable to be their PotUS than Trump. Personally, I wouldn't vote for either of them.
Certainly seems to be an accurate assessment.
Noted. Would you consider that throwing your vote away?
A ballot would have other issues to vote on so I wouldn't throw my vote away. I would write in LIz Cheney.
Politically , Liz Cheney is deader than Hillary.
Neither side wants or trusts Liz.
Reminds me of the movie Congo when the tribe is said to have many levels of dead, Liz, politically is truly dead.
What other American politician has any integrity? She had the integriy to be genuine to the extent of turning against her own party and get herself blackballed by her sleezy colleagues and ignorant constituents.
Politician and integrity to me is an oxymoron , and is judged solely in the eyes of one watching and deciding , no one else .
yes , and i WAS one of those constituents. and I am fine with the choice i made when time to vote rolled around .
I'll make the assumption you didn't vote for her. I guess that her choosing to cross the GOP party line and take a stand against the Jan 6 insurrection and Trump turned off most of her constituents. Follow the fold (a song I will remember forever after watching Guys and Dolls on Broadway with its original cast when I was 16 years old).
I will be honest, it wasn't her crossing the GOP that sealed it.i never voted for her any time she ran I considered her a political carpetbagger with the thinnest ties to the state one could have.
What sealed it for me period was her crossing the voters that voted for her and thinking it was alright.
If the voters can not count on an elected rep of their state that is suppose to represent them and their will, they deserve to be replaced. And that is what happened, I don't consider that to be ignorant. It is simply an employer firing an employee for not meeting expectations.
My opinion is that what she did may have crossed a red line for Wyoming GOP voters and the GOP politicians who support Trump, but what she was doing had to have been an expected personal sacrifice but done for the sake of the reputation and lawful continuation of the whole of the nation. That takes integrity. I believe she had the nation at heart, not just the party, and not just herself.
Liz rode in on the coattails of her pops. Which amuses me to no end when liberals side with her. You know, they loved them some Dick Cheney ….
Nothing quite like hypocrites getting "religion" when it comes to bashing Trump, and she fit the bill!
Yep, or atheists quoting the Bible when it suits the narrative they are pushing that minute. Can you say … oxymoron?
By the way, Mark, when a person starts a comment with "I will be honest" or "Honestly" or "To tell the truth" or 'Truthfully" I kind of wonder if that means a reader can't trust what the person says when they DON'T use one of those expressions? Just asking for a friend. LOL
A very astute and keen observation councilor .
You your self have stated in the past that you felt that i was (paraphrasing here) somewhat a person that is fair-minded , somewhat balanced in opinion , and generally truthful in beliefs stated , all of which i took and still take as the highest of compliments one can get on a site such as this .
Now my use of that particular phrase was intended to let you know the situation was more complex than the discussion up to that point would lead one to think .
I think i went in reverse order , from going against her party being the least of the problems in my mind, which affirms your post to a degree, to the most important problem of the voters deciding she was not representing the voters will , in my view . the fact i feel she was a carpetbagger politician i used in the middle is purely a personal thought and opinion and preference.
I think the best way i can explain this , is using an example from the movie kingdom of heaven, Balin and Saladin meet to end the battle at the movie climax, at the end Balin asks , "What is Jerusalem worth? " Saladins reply is "Nothing " He then takes a couple steps away and turns , smiles brings his fists together and says "Everything" showing that the issue is both non important and all important at the same time .
Though people will have no problem making a public statement of belief or opinion , they often have an unspoken reasoning that they tend to keep to themselves and share with only a very few and trusted individuals .
I think that should suffice to give your "friend" something to contemplate .
"Parkinson's Expert Visited White House 8 Times In 8 Months, Met With Biden's Doctor - ABC News"
Maybe Biden's doctor is suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
Somebody get that man a ceegar....
If you mean me, I haven't smoked for about a quarter of a century and never could stand cigars anyway. However, the closest I could get to smoking would be if I were given some nice sliced smoked salmon.
Salmon's alright, a little elitist though. I prefer brisket or pork belly.
Maybe so - the most delicious brisket sandwich I ate in my life was in a tiny restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, and pork is the favourite meat where I live, and I eat lots of it. My favourite Chinese dish is sweet and sour pork done the classic way, i.e. it isn't just chunks of pork with a sauce. Preparing the pork is a multi-step process including rolling tender morsels of it in batter and frying it before pouring the sauce on it.
Obviously this is Russian disinformation.