Joe Biden's neurologist speaks out

US President Joe Biden is not being treated for Parkinson's disease, his spokeswoman said. The government was responding to a report that sparked similar rumors.

After open questions about visits by a Parkinson’s disease specialist to the White House, President Joe Biden’s physician is making the details public. Kevin Canard is the neurologist who sees President Biden at each of his routine annual wellness checkups, Biden’s personal physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, wrote in a letter released by the White House. Canard was chosen not because he specializes in movement disorders, but because he is “a highly qualified and respected neurologist.” His “extensive experience” gives him the flexibility to assess a wide variety of patients and issues.

Earlier, at the daily White House press briefing, a heated exchange erupted between the reporters present and Biden’s spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre. Jean-Pierre declined to say why Canard has been visiting the White House regularly in recent months. The New York Times reported, citing official visitor logs, that Canard has visited the White House eight times since last summer. “It doesn’t matter how much pressure you put on me, it doesn’t matter how angry you are with me,” the spokeswoman said in response to multiple questions about the visits. “We can’t name the specialists, from dermatologists to neurologists.”

According to Biden’s physician, O’Connor, the results of Canard’s neurological exam are released every time. In late February, the published health report stated that Biden had shown no signs of possible stroke or Parkinson’s disease and that the president “has not experienced tremors.” “President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical,” O’Connor wrote. Canard has been a neurological consultant to the White House Medical Unit since 2012.

Biden does not suffer from Parkinson's disease.

This division of the White House is responsible for the medical needs of the president, staff, and visitors to the White House. Canard holds regular consultation hours there. “Seeing patients at the White House is something Dr. Canard has been doing for more than a decade,” he said. “To protect the privacy of patients, the names of the experts are not usually published. In this case, an exception must be made.”

The 81-year-old Biden has had to contend with mounting questions about his mental fitness since his televised defeat to Republican rival Donald Trump. He has also come under pressure within the Democratic Party. There is a debate in the United States about whether Biden is really the right Democratic presidential candidate for the November election due to his advanced age. Biden rejects any doubts. He refuses to take a cognitive health test to determine his mental abilities. His spokeswoman Jean-Pierre reiterated that they see no reason for this.

The current move by the White House is unusual and shows how much pressure is now underway. The release of the details is likely intended to dispel speculation that Biden may have Parkinson’s disease. “Has the president been treated for Parkinson’s? No. Is he being treated for Parkinson’s? No, he won’t. Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No,” Jean-Pierre said at the news conference. (APA/dpa)