Washington DC, US
Reuters
US President Joe Biden is not being treated for Parkinson’s disease, the White House said on Monday, after The New York Times reported visitor logs showed a doctor specialising in the illness had visited the White House at least eight times from last August through March.
Concerns that the president might be suffering from an undisclosed illness have risen since Biden stumbled in his 27th June debate with Republican Donald Trump, appearing frail and losing his train of thought at times.
US President Joe Biden walks to deliver remarks after the US Supreme Court ruled on former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s bid for immunity from federal prosecution for 2020 election subversion, at the White House in Washington, US, on 1st July, 2024. PICTURE: Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz/File photo
“Has the President been treated for Parkinson’s? No. Is he being treated for Parkinson’s? No, he’s not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a briefing.
Biden is battling criticism from some Democrats that he lacks the mental acuity to stand as their nominee against Trump in the 5th November election.
A review of White House visitor logs showed that Dr Kevin Cannard, a neurologist and Parkinson’s expert from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, visited the White House eight times from August through March this year.
Cannard met with White House physician Dr Kevin O’Connor at the White House in mid-January, the logs showed.
Jean-Pierre refused to confirm or elaborate on Cannard’s visits at the briefing – where she was frequently challenged by reporters – saying she wanted to respect the privacy of all involved for security reasons.
She said Biden had seen a neurologist three times connected to his annual physical exam. She did not explain Cannard’s presence at the White House, but suggested it might be connected to treating some of the military personnel who work at the White House complex.
“There are thousands of military personnel that come to the White House and they are under the care of the medical unit,” she said.
