In a rare letter, President Joe Biden‘s personal physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, has denied that a Parkinson’s specialist who has been to the White House eight times in the past year was on the executive campus to examine the president.
Dr. Kevin Cannard “regularly” visits the White House as part of its “general neurology practice,” O’Connor said in the letter, which was a response to widespread speculation earlier Monday about the reason for Cannard’s frequent appearances in visitor logs.
“Prior to the pandemic, and following its end, he has held regular neurology clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations,” the White House physician wrote Monday. “We value the contributions he has made across the many patients he has treated in support of the White House and its personnel over these years.”
But O’Connor did confirm Cannard is the neurologist who has examined Biden for his three presidential annual checkups.
“His findings have been made public each time I have released the results of the president’s annual physical,” O’Connor wrote. “President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.”
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O’Connor’s letter was circulated among reporters by the White House after an at-times combative briefing with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier in the day. During her briefing, Jean-Pierre declined to confirm Cannard had even been on campus despite his name appearing on public visitor logs, citing security and privacy concerns.
Cannard’s White House visits were first reported after Biden’s opening debate against former President Donald Trump, in which the incumbent appeared to lose his train of thought and stood with his mouth agape. His performance has caused elected Democrats to discuss candidly whether he should remain the party’s nominee this cycle.
