Biden’s physician responds to reports on Parkinson’s expert visits

[KARAH RUCKER]

EVER SINCE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S SELF-DESCRIBED “BAD NIGHT” AT THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE – HE AND HIS TEAM HAVE HAD TO FIELD QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS HEALTH. 

THAT WAS NO DIFFERENT ON MONDAY – WHEN THE CONCERNS CENTERED ON A PARKINSON’S DISEASE EXPERT WHO HAD RECENTLY VISITED THE WHITE HOUSE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 

ACCORDING TO PUBLIC VISITOR LOGS – DR. KEVIN CANNARD – A NEUROLOGIST AND “MOVEMENT DISORDERS SPECIALIST” FROM WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER VISITED THE WHITE HOUSE EIGHT TIMES IN AN EIGHT-MONTH SPAN — BETWEEN JULY 2023 AND MARCH 2024 – INCLUDING A VISIT WITH BIDEN’S PERSONAL PHYSICIAN. 

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE WAS ASKED REPEATEDLY ABOUT THE VISITS DURING MONDAY’S PRESS BRIEFING. 

JEAN-PIERRE SAYING BIDEN HAS SEEN A NEUROLOGIST THREE TIMES AS PART OF ANNUAL PHYSICALS BUT WOULD NOT CONFIRM MUCH ELSE – SAYING THE WHITE HOUSE MEDICAL UNIT SERVES MULTIPLE PERSONNEL ALONG WITH THE PRESIDENT. 

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE | WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY 

“I can tell you this.  Just going back to Parkinson’s for a little bit so to give you some answers here: has the president been treated for Parkinson’s? No. Is he being treated for Parkinson’s? No. He’s not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No. So those are the things that I can give you full-blown answers on but I’m not going to do I’m not going to confirm a specialist any specialist that comes to come comes to the White House out of privacy.” 

[KARAH RUCKER]

HOURS LATER —  WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN KEVIN O’CONNOR RELEASING A LETTER – ADDRESSING THE ISSUE – SAYING DR. CANNARD WAS “THE NEUROLOGICAL SPECIALIST THAT EXAMINED PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR EACH OF HIS ANNUAL PHYSICALS” INCLUDING ONE IN FEBRUARY THAT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ANY NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS.  

O’CONNOR CONFIRMING THE PRESIDENT HAS NOT SEEN A NEUROLOGIST OUTSIDE OF THOSE PHYSICALS. 

THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF WROTE A LETTER EARLIER IN THE DAY – TO DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS – AMID GROWING CALLS FOR HIM TO STEP ASIDE. 

BIDEN SAYING HE IS “FIRMLY COMMITTED TO STAYING IN THE RACE.” AND HE “WOULDN’T BE RUNNING AGAIN IF” HE DID NOT “ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE” HE WAS THE “BEST PERSON TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP.” 

A DEFIANT BIDEN JOINING MSNBC’S MORNING JOE SHORTLY AFTER SENDING THE LETTER – SAYING IT’S THE VOTERS WHO CHOSE HIM AS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE AND HE IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE CALLING FOR HIM TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE. 

JOE BIDEN

“I’m getting so frustrated by the elites – not you guys – the elites in the party, oh, they know so much more. Any of these guys that don’t think I should run, run against me announce for president, challenge me at the convention.” 

[KARAH RUCKER]

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WILL LOOK TO ANSWER “CRITICS CALLS” FOR HIM TO STEP ASIDE AS HE WELCOMES WORLD LEADERS TO WASHINGTON FOR THE NATO SUMMIT THAT BEGINS TUESDAY, JULY, 9. 

LEADERS FROM MORE THAN 30 NATO COUNTRIES AS WELL AS PARTNERS – AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH KOREA, THE EUROPEAN UNION AND UKRAINE – WILL JOIN THE PRESIDENT TO MARK 75 YEARS OF THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE. 

THE SUMMIT WILL FOCUS ON SUPPLYING ADDITIONAL MILITARY AND FINANCIAL AID TO UKRAINE INCLUDING NEW STEPS TO STRENGTHEN ITS AIR DEFENSES.  

DURING THE WEEK — BIDEN WILL HOST AN EVENT WITH UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR  ZELENSKYY AND TWO DOZEN OTHER LEADERS. 

HE’LL ALSO TAKE PART IN HIS FIST BILATERAL MEETING WITH NEW UK PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER. 

AND ON THURSDAY – THE PRESIDENT WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE WHERE HE WILL TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA. 

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IS GETTING BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TODAY WITH A RALLY IN FLORIDA — AS THE DEADLINE TO ANNOUNCE HIS PICK FOR VICE PRESIDENT LOOMS. 

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS’ SEAN HANNITY MONDAY NIGHT — TRUMP DID CONFIRM OHIO SENATOR J.D. VANCE, FLORIDA SENATOR MARCO RUBIO, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR TIM SCOTT AND NORTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR DOUG BURGUM *ARE* UNDER CONSIDERATION… 

BUT AS TO *WHEN* WE’LL FIND OUT WHO THE OFFICIAL PICK IS… IT SEEMS EVEN THE FORMER PRESIDENT ISN’T QUITE SURE. 

DONALD TRUMP

“I think probably within the next week, week and a half, probably sometime — I’d love to do it during the convention. My people say that’s a little complicated. You know, in the old days, they would announce the Vice President during the convention. Today, with modern day technology you can’t do things that you could’ve done 50 years ago very easily. But probably a little before the convention but not much. It could even be during the convention that we’ll do it. I’d love to do it during the convention. I think it would be a very interesting build up and important for the convention and would make it even more exciting.” 

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION KICKS OFF NEXT MONDAY — JULY 15 — IN MILWAUKEE.

AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED DEAD AND MILLIONS ARE WITHOUT POWER AFTER HURRICANE BERYL MADE LANDFALL IN TEXAS AS A CATEGORY 1 STORM ON MONDAY. 

DOZENS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE ALSO HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM FLOOD WATERS AFTER BERYL DROPPED UP TO TEN INCHES OF RAIN IN SOME AREAS AND TORNADOES COULD BE SPOTTED ACROSS THE STATE. 

OFFICIALS IN TEXAS SAY IT’LL TAKE “SEVERAL DAYS” TO RESTORE POWER — BUT THEY SHOULD BE GETTING A CLEARER TIMELINE AT SOME POINT TODAY. 

SINCE MAKING LANDFALL — BERYL HAS WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION. 

IT’S NOW MOVING TOWARD ARKANSAS — BUT RAIN FROM THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO HIT AS FAR NORTH AS DETROIT BY TUESDAY NIGHT… THEN DUMP HEAVY RAIN IN VERMONT BY WEDNESDAY.

JURY SELECTION BEGINS TUESDAY IN ACTOR ALEC BALDWIN’S NEW MEXICO TRIAL IN THE DEADLY SHOOTING OF A CINEMATOGRAPHER. 

BALDWIN IS CHARGED WITH INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN THE 20-21 ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH OF HALYNA HUTHINS ON THE SET OF “RUST.”  

ON MONDAY — A JUDGE RULED JURORS WILL NOT HEAR EVIDENCE RELATED TO HIS STATUS AS A PRODUCER ON THE FILM — ONLY HIS ROLE AS AN ACTOR IN THE MOVIE.  

BALDWIN ADMITTED HE WAS HOLDING A PROP GUN WHEN A LIVE BULLET DISCHARGED. 

BALDWIN PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT HE DID NOT INTENTIONALLY PULL THE TRIGGER AND THAT THE GUN “WENT OFF.” 

IF CONVICTED, BALDWIN FACES UP TO 18 MONTHS IN PRISON.

WE HAVE A PRICE INCREASE TO TELL YOU ABOUT – ONE THAT’S BEEN SIGNED AND SEALED AND NEXT WEEK WILL BE DELIVERED. 

STARTING ON JULY 14 – THE PRICE OF A FOREVER STAMP WILL COST 73 CENTS – THAT’S UP FIVE CENTS FROM ITS CURRENT PRICE. 

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE HAS RAISED THE COST. 

IN JANUARY THE PRICE OF A FOREVER STAMP WENT FROM 66 TO 68 CENTS. 

AND IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT SENDING A POSTCARD – THAT PRICE IS ALSO GOING UP – DOMESTICALLY BY 3 CENTS TO 56 CENTS AND INTERNATIONALLY BY A DIME – TO A DOLLAR 65.