The White House is now doing damage control following reports Joe Biden’s personal physician met with a top neurologist and Parkinson’s specialist at the White House.
Biden’s personal doctor, Kevin O’Connor, broke protocol Monday, releasing a letter explaining why Dr. Kevin Cannard visited the White House eight times in eight months.
The letter came after a frenzied day of speculation over Biden’s ailing health, which has been in question since his disastrous first debate with Donald Trump, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre adding fuel Monday by saying the president has seen a neurologist three times.
Cannard is a movement disorder specialist at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland.
On Monday, O’Connor released a letter with the permission of both Biden and Cannard and confirmed that Cannard had been the neurologist who evaluated the president at each of his three physicals since he took office.
But most of Cannard’s visits to the White House were pursuant to his role as a specialist attached to the White House Medical Unit, treating patients for a wide array of neurological issues at the White House for a dozen years, O’Connor said.
He said Cannard ‘has held regular Neurology Clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations.’
‘Many military personnel experience neurological issues related to their service, and Dr. Canard regularly visits the 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 publish visitor logs – according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Cannard did have one visit with Biden´s personal physician this January in the White House Residence clinic, weeks before the president´s physical in February.
O’Connor repeated that the findings of that physical that didn’t detect signs of any neurological disorder.
‘President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical,’ O’Connor said in his letter.
He also endorsed Cannard for his work at the White House during his appearances.
‘Dr. Cannard was chosen for this responsibility not because he is a movement disorder specialist, but because he is a highly trained and highly regarded neurologist here at Walter Reed and across the Military Health System, with a very wide expertise which makes him flexible to see a variety of patients and problems,’ he said.
Cannard has been in his position at the Walter Reed center for almost 20 years.
He has served as ‘neurology specialist supporting the White House Medical Unit,’ since 2012, according to his LinkedIn.
Biden is battling criticism from some Democrats that he lacks the mental acuity to stand as their nominee against Trump in the Nov. 5 presidential election.
The disclosure comes amid mounting scrutiny over the president’s mental state following his car crash debate against rival Donald Trump.
Biden, 81, has sought to quash rumors he is unfit to lead and still asserts he will run in the November election, but has refused to state whether he is undergoing regular, official cognitive tests.
‘Look, I have a cognitive test every single day,’ Biden said when asked by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday, as he referred to the tasks he faces daily in a rigorous job.
‘Every day, I have that test. Everything I do. You know, not only am I campaigning, but I’m running the world.’
Records show the president was in the White House on the day of the medics’ January meeting, as it took place on the same day he hosted House and Senate leaders to convince them to back extra funding for Ukraine.
The doctor issued Biden a clean bill of health during an annual exam in February, which ruled out Parkinson’s, 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 done a verbal ‘check-in’ with his doctor.
But questions over his competency remain, especially after his first sit-down interview since the disastrous June 27 debate did little to assuage fears.
Several Democrats had called for Biden to quit the race following the debate and they reiterated this wish after yesterday’s ABC interview.
He accused the president and his wife of attempting to gloss over his state of mind.
‘I believe he and Jill Biden have 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 job on day one of the Biden administration because they knew they could trust Kevin to say and do anything that needed to be said or done and cover up whatever needed to be covered up. He is part of the Biden family.’
Jean-Pierre at times struggled to be 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 refused to say why a specialist in Parkinson’s disease visited the White House eight times in eight months, citing privacy and security concerns.
But that simply triggered a hubbub from the usually docile front row of reporters who peppered her with demands for a proper explanation.