(TheRedWire.com) – Reporters sparred with the White House over the administration withholding information about Biden’s health.
On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre was grilled about reports that a neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease had been at the White House eight times in eight months, including once to meet with the physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O’Connor.
The briefing was dominated by questions asking Jean-Pierre to address reports about the specialist’s visits and whether those included consultations with or about Biden.
Jean-Pierre was adamant she wouldn’t name the Parkinson’s specialist, citing security and privacy concerns, despite the name — Dr. Kevin Cannard — already appearing on a public log of White House visitors.
At one point, reporter Ed O’Keefe, a CBS News correspondent, voiced the general frustration around the limited information being shared, describing reporters as “miffed” about how the White House had “shared information with the press corps.”
However, Jean-Pierre pushed back, stating it didn’t matter “how hard” the press pushed or “how angry” they got she wouldn’t be “confirm[ing] a name.”
She added that it “doesn’t matter if it’s even in the log,” saying all she’d do is confirm Biden had met with a neurologist “three times” as part of his physical.
Jean-Pierre also claimed the President isn’t being treated for Parkinson’s nor is he on medication for the disease, pointing to a February physical when the President’s physician concluded Biden is fit for duty and that a neurological exam confirmed Biden hadn’t had a stroke, suffered from Parkinson’s or another condition.
Reporters also voiced their frustration about the changing narrative around whether Biden had seen a doctor after his abysmal June 27 debate. At first, Jean-Pierre said “no,” when queried whether Biden had a medical exam since the one in February.
Then, two days later, she stated, Biden had a “verbal check-in,” after the President revealed he had a checkup.
The tense back-and-forth comes as questions about Biden’s health have overtaken the headlines after his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
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