A report in the New York Times about visits by a Parkinson’s specialist to the White House caused a stir. The White House spokeswoman went on the defensive.
A media report about visits by a Parkinson’s specialist to the White House sparked a heated exchange between the press present and US President Biden’s spokeswoman. “Has the President been treated for Parkinson’s? No. Is he being treated for Parkinson’s? No, he is not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No,” said spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. At the same time, she called on the journalists present to behave respectfully. There was no reason to question them in this “aggressive manner,” she said at one point to journalist Ed O’Keefe from the US broadcaster CBS.
Uncertainty about medical visits to the White House
The New York Times had previously reported, citing official visitor logs, that a Parkinson’s expert had visited the White House eight times since last summer. The newspaper went on to write that it was unclear whether the doctor from Walter Reed Military Hospital was in the government headquarters specifically because of the president, or whether he was there for other purposes. According to the newspaper, the expert himself stated that he worked as a “neurological adviser to the White House Medical Department and physician to the president” from 2012 to 2022. According to the newspaper, documents show that the expert also visited the White House during this time.
Biden’s spokeswoman defends herself against questions
Biden’s spokeswoman avoided all questions about the expert’s visits to the White House in recent months. She did not say why the doctor was in the White House or which specialists the 81-year-old Biden consulted. “We cannot name the specialists, from the dermatologist to the neurologist,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how much you press me, it doesn’t matter how angry you are with me,” she said in response to several questions about the visits. The president has himself examined by a neurologist every year as part of his annual health check. “So I’m telling you that he has visited a neurologist three times during his presidency.”
Biden’s health report published at the end of February stated that there were no signs of possible strokes or Parkinson’s and that the president had “no tremors.” Parkinson’s is a nerve-related movement disorder that primarily affects older people. The cause of the disease, also known as shaking palsy, is the death of nerve cells in the brain. They then no longer produce dopamine, which the body normally uses to control movements. Numerous disorders result: tremors, tense muscles, and gait and balance disorders. In addition, there is quiet and monotonous speech and rigid facial expressions.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
