President Joe Biden has not consulted a neurologist beyond his routine annual physicals, White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in a letter released Monday in response to speculation over visits to the White House by an expert on Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Kevin Cannard from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center visited the White House eight times in the last eight months, the New York Times reported, citing public visitor logs. The logs document that the neurologist visited the White House three times this year: A Jan. 17 meeting with O'Connor, and then with another staffer on Jan. 26 and March 28.
However, the White House doctor clarified in the letter that these visits didn't involve Biden and that the president's last physical exam on Feb. 28 showed no symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
The letter offering details about the neurologist's visit to the White House comes as the Biden administration has been keen to reassure the public and Democratic lawmakers of the president's fitness for office, particularly following his underwhelming debate performance last month.
In his letter, O'Connor said Dr. Cannard has been a long-standing neurology consultant to the White House Medical Unit since 2012. He clarified that the doctor has conducted Biden's annual physicals, including the most recent examination in February.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Cannard routinely held neurology clinics at the White House medical facility for the active-duty military personnel assigned there.
"Dr. Cannard has been seeing patients at the White House for 12 years," O'Connor said, adding, "He was selected for this role due to his extensive expertise as a neurologist at Walter Reed and within the Military Health System, not specifically for his specialization in movement disorders."
The White House physician said that Biden's last physical exam showed no indications of neurological disorders. He referenced his report from Feb. 28, saying: "A comprehensive neurological exam was reassuring, with no findings consistent with cerebellar or other central neurological disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later emphasized that the president has never been treated for, or taken any medicine to treat, Parkinson's.
Meanwhile, Biden has vowed that he will continue his reelection campaign, dismissing calls for his withdrawal as the wishes of party "elites" rather than the general electorate.
In a letter to congressional Democrats on Monday, Biden addressed growing concerns about his mental fitness and the future of his campaign, while also criticizing influential party members.
"I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump," Biden said.
"The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it's time for it to end. We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump. We have 42 days to the Democratic Convention and 119 days to the general election. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump."
