WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden is not being treated for Parkinson’s disease, the White House said on Monday, after the New York Times reported visitor logs showed a doctor specializing in the illness had visited the White House at least eight times from last August through March.
Concerns that the president might be suffering from an undisclosed illness have risen since Biden stumbled in his June 27 debate with Republican Donald Trump, appearing frail and losing his train of thought at times.
“Has the president been treated for Parkinson’s? No. Is he being treated for Parkinson’s? No, he’s not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a briefing.
Biden is battling criticism from some Democrats that he lacks the mental acuity to stand as their nominee against Trump in the Nov. 5 election.
A review of White House visitor logs showed that Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist and Parkinson’s expert from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, visited the White House eight times from August through March this year.
Cannard met with White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor at the White House in mid-January, the logs showed.
Jean-Pierre refused to confirm or elaborate on Cannard’s visits at the briefing – where she was frequently challenged by reporters – saying she wanted to respect the privacy of all involved for security reasons.
She said Biden had seen a neurologist three times connected to his annual physical exam. She did not explain Cannard’s presence at the White House, but suggested it might be connected to treating some of the military personnel who work at the White House complex.
“There are thousands of military personnel that come to the White House and they are under the care of the medical unit,” she said.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Franklin Paul, David Gregorio, Heather Timmons and Deepa Babington)
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