White House press secretary in fiery exchange with reporter about Joe Biden’s health

Karine Jean-Pierre fronted the media on Monday, local time, and was asked about the revelation that a Parkinson’s expert visited the White House eight times in eight months.

Joe Biden, 81, is facing heightened concerns over his health after a disastrous debate with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, 78.

Reporters wanted to know whether Dr Kevin Cannard’s visits to the White House, which logs show included meeting with the president’s doctor once in January, were related to Biden’s care.

Ms Jean-Pierre continued to answer the line of questioning with the information that Biden had seen a neurologist three times during his presidency as part of an annual physical exam.

She said she would not share details about the Parkinson’s specialist’s visits for security and privacy reasons.

“It’s a very basic direct question,” senior CBS News correspondent Ed O’Keefe shot back, kicking off a fiery exchange.

Ms Jean-Pierre asked for “a little respect here, please”.

“I am telling you that he has seen a neurologist three times … every time he has a physical he has had to see a neurologist – so that is answering that question,” she said.

“No it’s not. Did Dr Kevin Cannard come to the White House to speak about the President’s condition?” the reporter asked again.

Ms Jean-Pierre denied she was dodging the question and continued to say she cannot share names of specialists despite it being public information.

“Guys, guys, guys, hold on a second. There is no reason to go back and forth with me in this aggressive way,” she said at one point.

“I am not going to divulge someone’s name or confirm someone. I’m not going to do that. That is out of privacy for that person. I’m not going to do that. It doesn’t matter how hard you push me. It doesn’t matter how angry you get with me from here. I am just not going to do that. It’s inappropriate. It is not acceptable.”

The questioning on Dr Kevin Cannard’s visits went on for more than eight minutes.

The entire press briefing lasted more than one hour and was described at times as being “tense and combative”.

Ms Jean-Pierre did confirm Biden was not being treated and had not been treated for Parkinson’s.

She said his latest physical exam in February was “reassuring” and he has other “check-ins” with his doctors regularly.

Defiant Biden throws down gauntlet 

President Biden insisted again Monday he would not quit the US election race, as the White House denied he had Parkinson’s disease following a disastrous debate performance.

The 81-year-old dared Democratic critics to either challenge him at next month’s party convention in Chicago or back him against Donald Trump in November’s vote.

The president lashed out in both a letter to Congress and a rare call to a television program, at the start of a critical week that includes a NATO summit in Washington where he will face fresh scrutiny.

“I am firmly committed to staying in the race,” Biden wrote in the letter. “It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party and defeat Donald Trump,” he said. “It’s time for it to end.” The embattled president followed up by phoning into MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” television program to say he was “getting so frustrated by the elites” in the party.

“Any of these guys that don’t think I should run -- run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention,” he added.

But even as he doubled down, the pressure mounted on the oldest president in US history.

Congressman Adam Smith, the senior Democrat on the US House Armed Services Committee, became the sixth Democratic lawmaker to publicly say Biden should step aside.

“I think it’s become clear he’s not the best person to carry the Democratic message,” he told CNN.

Other senior Democrats voiced support for Biden, however.

“I made clear that day after the debate publicly that I support President Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket. My position has not changed,” House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries told CNN.

‘All in’

The NATO summit begins on Tuesday, the same day that Democrats, returning to Capitol Hill from a brief recess, hold a caucus meeting where Biden’s fate will be discussed.

The Democrat lags behind Trump in most polls even though his rival was recently convicted of a felony in a porn star hush money case.

But efforts to force out Biden will not be easy.

First Lady Jill Biden has fiercely defended her husband and did so again on Monday at the start of a trip to Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.

“For all the talk out there about this race, Joe has made it clear that he’s all in,” she at a veterans’ event in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Numerous allies have also weighed in.

The head of the Congressional Black Caucus, Steven Horsford, said on Monday that Biden had been “selected by millions of voters across this country.” “It’s fascism or freedom, that’s it,” Jan Schakowsky of Illinois told AFP as she voiced her support.

“(Biden) delivered, he will deliver, he still is delivering right now. So I just think this is very distracting right now.”

— with AFP