Washington, D.C. — The White House on Monday refuted rumors that President Joe Biden is being treated for Parkinson's disease, following public speculation spurred by multiple visits from a specialist neurologist to the executive mansion.
According to Philippines News Agency, Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist known for his work in Parkinson's disease, has visited the White House eight times from August 2023 through March 2024, with the last visit recorded before a standard delay in posting under the administration's voluntary disclosure policy. While Dr. Cannard's LinkedIn profile describes him as supporting the White House Medical Unit, another profile on Doximity notes his involvement in developing therapies for early-stage Parkinson's disease. He has been affiliated with Walter Reed Medical Center, a primary healthcare provider for U.S. presidents, since retiring from the U.S. Army in 2008.
A detailed review of the logs reveals that one of Dr. Cannard’s visits, in January, included a meeting with President Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, at the Residence Clinic, where three other individuals were present. This is the only recorded instance where other attendees were listed for Cannard’s visits, which typically were held with Megan Nasworthy, a White House liaison with Walter Reed.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre strongly denied that President Biden is receiving treatment for Parkinson’s. However, she refrained from providing specifics about the visits or confirming Dr. Cannard’s presence in the White House, citing privacy concerns. "I cannot, from here, confirm any of that, because we have to keep their privacy. I think they would appreciate that too. We have to keep their privacy," Jean-Pierre emphasized during a press briefing. She continued, "It doesn't matter how hard you push me. It doesn't matter how angry you get with me. I'm not going to confirm a name. It doesn't matter if it's even in the log. I am not going to do that from here. That is not something I am going to do."
This statement has drawn attention given the public availability of visitor logs, which explicitly list individuals by name, including Dr. Cannard, contrasting with claims regarding the protection of visitor privacy.