The White House said Monday that the president Joe Biden was not treated for Parkinson’s disease during a bad-tempered press conference, accusing officials of concealing his medical records.
Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre sometimes struggled to be heard amid all the questions about the 81-year-old president’s health.
She confirmed that he had been examined by a neurologist three times, but declined to say why a Parkinson’s specialist had visited the White House eight times in eight months, citing privacy and security concerns.
But that only led to a commotion among the usually docile front row of reporters, who bombarded her with demands for a proper explanation.
“Ed, please have a little respect,” Jean-Pierre told CBS News senior correspondent Ed O’Keefe, who wanted to know why she was unwilling to discuss details of Dr. Kevin Cannard’s visits when they were already public and had been revealed by visitor logs.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre came under intense criticism Monday after she was accused of not being truthful about the president’s health or doctor visits.
The extraordinary footage cuts to the heart of the crisis surrounding the White House and Biden’s re-election campaign.
The president’s health has been under great strain since his failed performance during his first debate with Donald Trump.
Democratic donors have called on him to withdraw in favor of a younger candidate, and nine elected officials have followed suit.
In addition, journalists say the White House is not being honest with its answers. Monday’s briefing did not seem to address concerns.
The result was a series of questions about possible neurological conditions, from Parkinson’s disease to hydrocephalus.
Further questions arose when it emerged that Cannard had visited the White House eight times in an eight-month period, including once to meet with the president’s personal physician.
“I hear you, boys, wait a minute,” said Jean-Pierre.
‘There is no reason to go back and forth with me in this aggressive manner.
O’Keefe responded: “We are angry about the way information was shared with the press.”
Visitor logs reported by the New York Post, the Guardian and The New York Times reveal that Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist, visited the White House repeatedly
President Joe Biden at a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Sunday
Reporters specifically pointed out that they had asked Jean-Pierre last week whether the president had undergone any “medical tests” since his full physical in February. She replied: “We have been able to talk to his doctor about that and that is a no.”
Officials later had to clarify her answer, saying that Biden had indeed been seen by his doctor after the debate.
“He has not undergone any medical examination,” she said Monday, fending off hostile questions and saying she did not want to mislead anyone. “And I stand by that. The president stands by that, by the way. He had a verbal check-in.”
At one point, Jean-Pierre tried to ask a friendly face to step in and rally the ranks of journalists. “Kelly O?” she asked, turning to CBS News’ Kelly O’Donnell, who is the president of the White House Correspondents Association.
I will not delegate [sic] confirm someone’s name and or someone. I’m not going to do that,” she said.
“That’s privacy for that person. I’m not going to do that. It doesn’t matter how hard you push me, it doesn’t matter how angry you get at me.”
President Joe Biden, 81, pulled a Trump trick on Monday by calling into a sympathetic TV show to defend himself amid calls to step aside and challenging critics to run against him.
Biden sent a two-page letter to Democrats in Congress, vowing to stay in the race
Monday wasn’t supposed to be this way. It started with the president striking a defiant tone in a letter to congressional Democrats, saying he wouldn’t give up his campaign.
He then made an unexpected call to MSNBC’s Morning Joe program to criticize the elite, who he said did not understand his support among the Democratic base.
He challenged opponents to run for office at the convention.
“I get so frustrated with the elites. By the way, I’m not talking about you… the elites in the party,” he said.
“They know so much more? If any of these guys think I shouldn’t run… then run. Announce yourself for president. Challenge me at the convention.”
The president also expects to hold a press conference on Thursday to show he can still withstand the strict demands and scrutiny that come with being president.
