According to White House visitor logs, President Joe Biden’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, met with Dr. Kevin Cannard, a renowned neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease, at the White House residence clinic on January 17. The meeting was attended by two other individuals, including cardiologist John E. Atwood.
The encounter has sparked concerns about Biden’s health, with Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) stating that it is “highly likely” the topic of discussion was the president’s health. Jackson, who served as physician to the president under the Obama and Trump administrations, has previously raised concerns about Biden’s mental health and accused O’Connor and First Lady Jill Biden of covering up the president’s well-being.
Dr. Cannard has published research on the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, which could be relevant to Biden’s situation. However, the White House has downplayed the meeting, citing the wide range of specialists who visit the complex to treat military personnel.
In a recent interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Biden declined to commit to taking an independent cognitive test, attributing his poor debate performance to fatigue. He also revealed that he had met with his doctor before the debate, despite the White House denying any medical examination.
Biden’s aides have stated that the president is functional and engaged from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but outside of this timeframe or while traveling, he is more likely to experience miscues. The controversy has led to mounting pressure for Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, with many prominent figures on both sides of the aisle criticizing his performance.
