The White House briefing room erupted Monday as reporters bombarded White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to disclose details about President Joe Biden’s medical records.
Reporters questioned Jean-Pierre on the reasoning a neurologist and Parkinson’s disease specialist were mentioned on the White House log and whether it related to the president’s health. The press secretary said Biden has seen a neurologist three times, but refused to answer further on the details due to security reasons.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe said the press secretary should be able to answer the questions on the president’s health. Jean-Pierre said she must respect the privacy of the doctors and the thousands of personnel who receive White House medical care.
“Ed, I also said to you for security reasons, we cannot share names. We cannot share names,” Jean-Pierre said.
“You cannot share names of others he would’ve met with, but you can share names in regards if someone came here in regards to the president,” O’Keefe shot back.
“We cannot share names of specialists broadly. From a dermatologist to a neurologist. We cannot share names,” she said. “There are security reasons—Ed, I hear you. I cannot from here confirm any of that because we have to keep their privacy. I think they would appreciate that too.”
Briefing Erupts After Multiple Reporters Bombard KJP With Questions About Neurologist Visiting White House pic.twitter.com/Jsjlo2kHTg
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 8, 2024
“It is public,” NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell can be heard saying, along with other reporters. Jean-Pierre continued to refuse sharing the doctors’ names from the podium. (RELATED: ‘Is He Disabled?’: KJP Snaps At Reporter As He Shouts Out Question About Biden’s Cognitive Health)
“It is public information,” O’Keefe said.
“I hear you, guys, guys, guys, hold on a second. There’s no reason to go back and forth and get this aggressive,” she said.
O’Keefe said he is “miffed” by the information provided to the Press Corps. about the president’s health and the public information in the White House logs.
“You answer incorrectly and then you have to come back and clean it up,” O’Keefe said.
“I didn’t answer the question incorrectly,” the press secretary said. “That is not true. I was asked about a medical exam. I was asked about a physical. That was in the line of question that I answered and I said no, he did not have a medical exam, and I stand by that. The president stands by that. He had a verbal check in, that’s something that the president has a couple times a week. A couple times a week.”
“Now in regards to Dr. Kevin Cannard,” O’Keefe began.
“And I am telling you, right now, that I am not sharing confirming names from here. It is for security reasons, Ed. It doesn’t matter how hard you push me, it doesn’t matter how angry you get with me, I am not going to confirm a name. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the log. I am not going to do that from here. That is not something I am going to do,” she said.
Cannard, a neurologist and “movement disorders specialist,” reportedly met with Biden’s physician Kevin O’Connor at the White House on Jan. 17 and visited the residence clinic on March 28, according to the New York Post, citing White House logs. An expert for Parkinson’s disease reportedly visited the White House eight times throughout an eight month span between July 2023 and March 2024.
Jean-Pierre said during the briefing that Biden is not being treated for Parkinson’s, according to Time Magazine.
