The recent meeting between White House Dr. Kevin O’Connor and Dr. Kevin Cannard, a top neurologist and Parkinson’s disease expert from Walter Reed Medical Center, has raised concerns among many who wonder if there is a full-scale coverup taking place regarding President Joe Biden’s health. This concern was exacerbated when it was revealed that another Walter Reed specialist, Dr. John E. Atwood, attended the meeting as well.
Dr. Cannard has been serving as a neurology specialist at the White House Medical Unit since 2012 and is an authority on Parkinson’s disease. His recent paper, published in August 2023, focuses on the early stages of the crippling condition. Considering that Dr. O’Connor’s primary responsibility is President Biden’s health, it is highly probable that the meeting was about the commander in chief, as stated by Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), who also served as a doctor for Presidents Obama and Trump.
Rep. Jackson has been an advocate for the president to have a cognitive exam, and he is not alone in this belief. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, recently recommended that President Biden undergo comprehensive cognitive and neurological testing in an op-ed published on CNN’s website.
Dr. Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, expressed concerns about the president’s physical and mental condition following his debate with Trump. In his observations, he pointed out halting speech, confused statements, lack of concentration, rigid movement, and diminished facial expressions as reasons for concern. He also mentioned that many medical colleagues who specialize in the brain shared similar concerns after watching the debate.
Although President Biden’s most recent physical exam in February showed no signs of neurological disorders or Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Gupta pointed out that no cognitive testing was performed during this examination. He suggested that comprehensive testing is necessary to determine whether there is a straightforward explanation for the president’s symptoms during the debate or if there is a more serious underlying issue.
Elected officials are entitled to some level of privacy when it comes to their health, and under federal health-care laws, there is no ability for someone to obtain personal medical information on an individual unless authorized, even the president. There is also no requirement for the president or candidates to disclose that information. Most do not. However, as a doctor, Dr. Gupta believes that understanding any underlying dementia could be crucial in determining appropriate treatment and lifestyle changes that can delay or even reverse symptoms of the disease.
In these times of hopeful advancements in dementia treatments, early diagnosis and intervention are more important than ever before. As such, many continue to call for transparency and comprehensive testing for President Joe Biden’s health, as they believe there may be a coverup taking place at the highest levels of power within the White House.
