Karine Jean-Pierre admits giving false information about Biden neurology visit after outcry over health misdirection
WASHINGTON — President Biden was seen by neurologist Kevin Cannard, who specializes in Parkinson’s disease, at the White House on Jan. 17, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre admitted late Tuesday — hours after telling reporters the opposite at her regular briefing.
The clarification came just a day after Jean-Pierre scolded a journalist for noting the press was “miffed” at her for giving misleading information last week on whether Biden, 81, was medically evaluated after his catastrophic June 27 debate performance.
“Because the date was not mentioned in the question, I want to be clear that the Jan. 17 meeting between [presidential physician] Dr. [Kevin] O’Connor and Dr. Cannard was for the president’s physical,” Jean-Pierre told the Associated Press, whose reporter had asked Jean-Pierre about Cannard’s meeting with O’Connor, which was first reported by The Post this past Saturday.
“It was one of the three times the president has seen Dr. Cannard, each time for his physical. The findings from each exam have been released to the public,” Jean-Pierre said amid Democratic calls for Biden to end his campaign for a second term due to his perceived cognitive decline.
Earlier Tuesday, the AP’s Seung Min Kim asked Jean-Pierre, “Can you say whether that one meeting [between Cannard and O’Connor] was related to care for the president himself?”
Jean-Pierre replied, “I can say that it was not.”
Cannard visited the White House eight times in as many months between July last year and March this year for what O’Connor suggested in a Monday night letter was treating military members, even though his visits were to the residence clinic in the White House basement, according to public visitor logs, rather than to a separate and larger medical facility in the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
Cannard’s findings after evaluating Biden were included in a physical report released by O’Connor on Feb. 28, which said the president was evaluated during an “extremely detailed neurologic exam.”
“[T]here were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy,” the report said.
Jean-Pierre’s latest disclosure appears to push back the date for what the White House says was Biden’s most recent neurological exam — as doctors and politicians openly speculate about the president’s cognitive prognosis.
The press secretary’s walk-back followed a press corps outcry over her initial refusal to explain Cannard’s visits and her claim last week that Biden had not had “any kind” of medical exam after the debate, at which he appeared confused and made remarks such as that he “finally beat Medicare.”
Another White House spokesperson later disclosed that “several days” after the debate, “the President was seen to check on his cold and was recovering well.”
Jean-Pierre scolded CBS journalist Ed O’Keefe during a tense briefing exchange on Monday when he pressed her on the fact that “it is listed that [Cannard] went to the residence clinic.”
“Hold on a second. There’s no reason to go back and forth with me in this aggressive way,” Jean-Pierre said in a sanctimonious tone.
“Well, we’re a little miffed around here about how information has been shared with the press corps about him,” O’Keefe replied.
“What are you missed [sic] about? What are you missed [sic] about?” she exclaimed, insisting that “every time I come back and I answer the question that you guys asked.”
“And you answer it incorrectly and then have to come back and clean it up a few days later,” O’Keefe retorted.
Later in the briefing, Jean-Pierre said the line of questioning was inappropriate.
“The personal attacks is [sic] not okay,” she said.
Jean-Pierre is widely regarded by White House colleagues as ill-prepared and incurious about the details of major stories before briefing the press — prompting an unsuccessful effort last fall led by presidential adviser Anita Dunn, who controls West Wing communications strategy, to persuade her to leave ahead of the election year.
