White House press conference heated up over Biden’s health issues

Monday’s press conference was heated with a tense exchange between White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and CBS News correspondent Ed O’Keefe.

Amid growing concern among Democrats about the health of President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection, Jean-Pierre reiterated that he would not discuss with reporters, including O’Keefe, the reasons for the Parkinson’s disease specialist’s visit to the White House.

It was recently reported that Parkinson’s disease experts from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center visited the White House eight times over an eight-month period, starting last summer and continuing through this spring. The New York TimesWhite House visitor records show that specialist Dr. Kevin Canard met at least once with Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor.

Reached by email Monday, Jameson Crabtree, a spokesman for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, said: Newsweek “Due to the nature of this inquiry, I [a] It’s a higher level.”

White House spokesman Andrew Bates told CNN on Monday that “a variety of specialists from Walter Reed hospitals visit the White House to provide care to the thousands of military personnel who serve on the grounds.”

Biden struggled to answer basic questions about his campaign and even complete sentences during a June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump, raising new concerns about whether the 81-year-old Biden is old enough and mentally capable of taking on Trump and serving another four years in office. While some have publicly supported Biden, others have said he should step aside to allow another candidate to face Trump in the November election.

Earlier in the day, Biden warned Democratic critics in Congress that calls for him to drop out of the race could embolden the Trump campaign.

During a particularly tense exchange on Monday, O’Keefe said the White House visitor log is “public information” and accused Jean-Pierre of “perpetuating” questions over the Parkinson’s disease specialist’s visit.

“We’re a little frustrated with the way information about him is being shared with the press,” O’Keefe also said, seemingly referring to the perception that little information is coming out of the White House about President Biden.

When pressed by O’Keefe and others about the nature of Cannard’s visit to the White House, Jean-Pierre repeatedly said at the press conference that “for security reasons” his “name cannot be made public.”

“I can’t confirm anything because it has to be kept secret,” she told reporters.

Jean-Pierre reiterated that Biden has seen a neurologist three times, each in conjunction with an annual physical. He told reporters that Biden has never been treated for Parkinson’s disease and is not taking any medication for the progressive disease that affects the nervous system.

At a later press conference, Jean-Pierre said he was upset that O’Keefe had allegedly “hid information” from the White House press corps during a press conference.

After a heated exchange with O’Keefe, Jean-Pierre called the allegations “really unfair.”

“I’m not going to name check or confirm from here,” she said during the contentious exchange. “No matter how much you blame me, no matter how angry you are with me, I’m not going to name check. On record or not, I’m not going to do that from here.”

Newsweek An email seeking further comment was sent to the White House after Monday’s press conference.

Updated July 8, 2024 at 5:14 pm: This story has been updated with additional information.