July 9th 2024.
Concerns have been raised about President Joe Biden's performance at the presidential debate on June 27. Many are questioning his age, health, and ability to lead the country. Administration officials are attributing his confusing and sometimes hard to understand responses to a head cold, jet lag, and inadequate preparation at Camp David. However, with Biden being 81 years old, his health has become a significant issue for voters as the November election approaches.
Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's physician, recently made a statement regarding the president's health after White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, struggled to answer questions about it during a news briefing on Monday. One of the questions asked was how often the president sees a doctor. Jean-Pierre explained that Biden undergoes extensive yearly physical exams and that most Americans don't realize the level of medical care provided to the president, as they are lucky to see their own doctors once or twice a year. In contrast, the president has a medical unit just steps away from the White House residence, and he does verbal check-ins with his doctor a couple of times a week while exercising.
There has been confusion about whether or not Biden saw a doctor for his cold after the debate. Initially, the White House stated that there was no medical exam, but it was later revealed that there was a brief verbal check-in, and it was determined that no further examination was necessary.
Another question posed at the briefing was whether Biden has seen a neurologist. Jean-Pierre confirmed that he has seen a neurologist three times, all of which were during his annual physical exams. However, she declined to disclose the location of these visits. When asked if there have been any signs of Parkinson's or other neurological diseases in Biden's physical exams, Jean-Pierre referred to the report issued in February, which stated that there were no findings consistent with any of these conditions.
The name of the neurologist who visited the White House eight times between July 2023 and March was revealed through visitor logs. However, Jean-Pierre did not confirm this or provide any information about why the neurologist was there, citing security reasons. She also mentioned that the White House medical unit treats thousands of military personnel and that they must be careful with the information they disclose. She encouraged the public to "connect the dots."
Later, O'Connor released a letter with the permission of both Biden and the neurologist, Dr. Kevin Cannard, confirming that he has evaluated the president during his three physical exams since taking office. O'Connor clarified that Cannard's visits to the White House were not just for Biden but for other patients with neurological issues over the past 12 years. He also pointed out that Cannard made similar visits to the White House during previous administrations.
O'Connor reiterated that Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical exams. When asked if Biden could release his full medical records, Jean-Pierre stated that the president has already shared a comprehensive report, similar to what former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have done. She also mentioned that in 2008, Senator John McCain allowed reporters to review over 1,100 pages of his medical records when he ran for president at the age of 71. However, it is ultimately up to Biden to decide if he wants to release his complete medical records.
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