White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sparred with reporters Monday over reports that a Parkinson’s expert visited the grounds numerous times to check on Joe Biden.
Reporters became irate with Biden’s press secretary when she repeatedly stonewalled them and refused to offer clarity about a New York Times report that renowned Parkinson’s physician Dr. Kevin Cannard visited the White House at least 8 times over the last year.
“Did Dr. Kevin Cannard come to the White House to examine the president’s condition?” CBS correspondent Ed O’Keefe asked.
Absolute CHAOS erupts in the briefing room as Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly declines to say why a renown Parkinson's expert has visited the Biden White House so many times in recent months pic.twitter.com/LNOsHE1hFr
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 8, 2024
“We cannot share names!” Jean-Pierre said, which O’Keefe pushed back on.
“It’s public! I looked it up right before we came out here,” O’Keefe said, referring to the White House visitor log. “It’s right there for anyone to see!”
“Ed, I hear you, I cannot from here confirm any of that because we have to keep their privacy. I think they would appreciate that too,” Jean-Pierre responded.
“I am not going to do that, Ed. 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,” she continued. “It doesn’t matter if it’s even in the log. I am not going to do that from here.”
Even when another reporter tried to pin down a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from Jean-Pierre over whether a physician has re-evaluated Biden, she refused to offer a definitive answer.
"Yes or no, has his physician seen a reason to re-evaluate him for Parkinson's?"
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: "The president is obviously going to have another physical" pic.twitter.com/9sBdqPM8UF
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 8, 2024
When asked WHY Biden won’t take a cognitive exam and “put all this to rest” about his mental acuity, Jean-Pierre gave a non-answer.
REPORTER: Why won't Biden just take a cognitive exam and put all this to rest if he has nothing to hide?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: "I hear you" pic.twitter.com/hZtouKCIza
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 8, 2024
At one point, Jean-Pierre lectured the reporters about their combative line of questioning and painted herself as the victim of the contentious exchange.
Karine Jean Pierre is THE ABSOLUTE WORST. pic.twitter.com/uhImIvkmbN
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) July 8, 2024
In other news, when Biden was asked on Monday by MSNBC “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski whether he had been tested for Parkinson’s disease, Biden confidently replied that he tested negative — for COVID-19!
MSNBC Mika asks Biden: do you have Parkinson's?
Biden: I tested negative for COVID
Well that clears things up. pic.twitter.com/k7ZKHUy262
— Max Meyer (@mualphaxi) July 8, 2024
Watch the full briefing: