The White House has denied that US President Joe Biden is receiving treatment for Parkinson’s disease, responding to a New York Times report that a specialist doctor had visited the White House multiple times between August and March.
“Has the president been treated for Parkinson’s? No,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a press briefing.
“Is he being treated for Parkinson’s? No, he’s not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No. Those are the things that I can give you full-blown answers on.”
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, causing symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. It is caused by the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, and typically effects older people.
The New York Times reported that White House visitor logs indicate Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist specialising in movement disorders who recently published research on Parkinson’s, visited the White House eight times between last summer and this spring. One meeting in January involved Biden’s personal doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, for unspecified reasons.
However, while Jean-Pierre declined to comment on Dr. Cannard’s visit for reasons of privacy, she did say that Biden had seen a neurologist three times as part of his annual physical exams, and that there were “no findings” which would indicate any kind of “central neurological disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, or ascending lateral sclerosis”.
A spokesman for the White House Andrew Bates also said that “a wide variety of specialists” frequently visit the White House to treat the “thousands of military personnel” who work on the grounds.
81-year-old Biden’s health has been raised as an issue of concern by opponents and commentators for years, but the issue particularly came to a head in the wake of the June 27th CNN Presidential election debate against Republican rival Donald Trump, wherein Biden appeared dazed, confused, and disoriented throughout the exchange.
Biden, who is the Democratic nominee for the November 5th presidential election, has been described as gaffe-prone, and has come under pressure from within his own party to step down after what most regarded to be a poor debate performance.
Despite these calls, Biden said last week that he was “staying in the race.”
“Let me say this as clearly as I can,” he said in a social media post.
“I’m the sitting President of the United States. I’m the nominee of the Democratic party. I’m staying in the race.”
Let me say this as clearly as I can:
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 5, 2024
I’m the sitting President of the United States.
I’m the nominee of the Democratic party.
I’m staying in the race.