Report: Parkinson's expert in the White House several times
Every day, questions about Joe Biden's mental fitness as the US President are becoming louder. Now there are reports that a neurologist has frequently visited the White House. Is Dr. Kevin Cannard, a Parkinson expert at Walter Reed Medical Center, involved in Biden's care?
At 81 years old, Joe Biden is now the oldest president the USA has ever had. Yet, he was still considered a front-runner for the next elections in November among Democrats until recently. However, doubts about Biden's health have been growing louder since the debate with his Republican challenger Donald Trump. Even the interview Biden gave to ABC journalist George Stephanopoulos in response to his poor performance in the debate could not alleviate concerns about Biden's mental fitness to serve another four years.
Stephanopoulos, who was Communications Director in the White House under President Bill Clinton, asked Biden if he had undergone any special tests for cognitive performance. "Nobody has said I have to do that ... they said I'm good," Biden replied.
However, there are now media reports that cast doubt on Biden's health in a different light. The "New York Post" reports, citing visit records, that a well-known Washington neurologist, Dr. Kevin Cannard, has visited the White House multiple times. According to the report, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's osteopath since his presidency in January 2021, has been treating him since 2009. He declared Biden fit for duty at his latest examination in February.
"Good Morning, Mr. President"
This fitness examination, which took place at Walter Reed Hospital, included a neurological evaluation. Parkinson's disease was explicitly ruled out in the medical bulletin. White House representatives stated at the time that a specific cognitive test was not administered to Biden because O'Connor and the neurologist decided it was unnecessary.
In March, O'Connor told an osteopathic medical journal that his most important task was to say "Good Morning, Mr. President" every day. The "Washington Post" reported over the weekend that a White House staffer said O'Connor had never recommended Biden undergo a cognitive test.
According to the newspaper, there have been a total of eight documented visits by neurologist Cannard since August 2023. In seven of these visits, Cannard met with Megan Nasworthy, a liaison person between Walter Reed Hospital and the White House. On January 17, there was a direct meeting between Cannard and O'Connor. At this meeting, Dr. John E. Atwood, a cardiologist at Walter Reed, was also present.
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In the ABC interview, Stephanopoulos had pressed Biden to undergo an independent neurological and cognitive evaluation and make the results public. "I will undergo a cognitive test every day," Biden said. "I'm not just campaigning, but I'm governing the world."
According to his LinkedIn profile, Cannard has been working as a "Neurology Specialist to support the medical department of the White House" since 2012. His most recent scientific publication, which was published in August 2023 in the journal Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, focuses on the "Early Stages" of debilitating disease.
Both Cannard and cardiologist Atwood reportedly declined to comment on the report to the newspaper. A White House spokesperson stated: "A multitude of specialists from the Walter Reed System visit the White House complex to treat thousands of military personnel who are working on the grounds."
Despite the White House's assertion that Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's long-time osteopath, has declared him fit for duty, concerns about Joe Biden's health persist. Recent reports suggest that Dr. Kevin Cannard, a Parkinson's disease expert at Walter Reed Medical Center and a neurology specialist for the White House since 2012, has made multiple visits to the White House, including a direct meeting with O'Connor in January.
