The White House recently had to issue a clarification after initial misstatements by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
She inaccurately described the nature of a meeting involving President Joe Biden’s health, which later needed correction.
Actual Purpose of the Meeting
Karine Jean-Pierre disclosed that the meeting, previously shrouded in misunderstanding, was actually part of President Biden’s annual physical check-up.
This revelation followed an embarrassing mix-up that required public correction to set the record straight.
Each Visit Was For His Annual Physical
Jean-Pierre has since clarified that any meeting with a doctor have been strictly to do with the presidential annual physical examination, rather than specifically to do with Parkinson’s disease.
Biden’s press secretary said: “It was one of the three times that president has seen Dr. Cannard, each time for his physical. The findings from each exam have been released to the public.”
Growing Concerns Over Presidential Health
These errors are the latest in a series of public relations missteps that have intensified scrutiny over President Biden’s health.
Such incidents contribute to ongoing speculation and concern regarding the President’s capacity to fulfill his duties.
The Press Conference Became Tense
Jean-Pierre was answering the journalists’ questions without too much trouble until she was asked why Dr. Cannard had made eight visits to the White House over the last eight months.
“For security reasons, we cannot share names. I am not going to confirm a name, even if it’s in the log. What I can share is that the President has seen a neurologist, for his physical, three times,” said Jean-Pierre.
Misstatements Post-Debate
After President Biden’s debated performance, which received widespread attention, Jean-Pierre initially told the press that the President had not consulted his doctor.
This statement was later corrected, acknowledging that President Biden did indeed see his physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor.
The Presidential Debate Sparked Major Concern
There were concerns about Biden’s health prior to the presidential debate in June, but Biden’s performance the brought his health and ability to carry out his duties even further into question.
The debate was filled with awkward silences. Biden often lost track of the points he was making. Instead of his usual taunting demeanour, Trump mostly stayed silent while Biden tripped over his words. Biden’s aides blamed his raspy voice on a cold.
Contradictory Statements About Neurological Exam
In a conflicting turn of events, Karine Jean-Pierre had to retract her previous statement by admitting that President Biden had an examination with neurologist Dr. Kevin Cannard, despite earlier denials.
She had originally stated at a press briefing that no such meeting occurred.
Jean-Pierre’s Formal Clarification
Karine Jean-Pierre later provided a formal statement: “Because the date was not mentioned in the question, I want to be clear that the Jan. 17 meeting between Dr. O’Connor and Dr. Cannard was for the President’s physical.”
This statement clarified the purpose and nature of the consultations.
Privacy and Security Concerns Over Physician’s Visits
Initially, Jean-Pierre refused to confirm the identity of Dr. Cannard, citing security and privacy concerns.
This refusal came despite the visits being logged and reported, leading to significant pushback from the press over the lack of transparency.
Continued Evasiveness in Responses
Even after the identity of Dr. Cannard was disclosed, Jean-Pierre continued to face tough questions about the specifics of his visits.
She remained evasive, which only intensified the scrutiny and frustration among reporters.
Reporters Are On The Offense
The press conference deteriorated into an angry back-and-forth between Jean-Pierre and the reporters over a lack of transparency from the White House about Biden’s health.
Ed O’Keefe, correspondent for Associated Press, opened the conference with a question on “credibility of this White House when it comes to talking about the president’s health”. In response, Jean-Pierre asked for “a little respect”.
Disinformation Has Not Helped Jean-Pierre’s Case
While there have certainly been mistakes in how Jean-Pierre has handled questions around the President’s physical health, the issue has been exacerbated by deliberate doctoring of content to spread disinformation.
Reuters recently released a factcheck from a press conference in May this year where a clip was altered to seem like Jean-Pierre walked out without answering a question from a Fox News journalist. This was not the case.
Growing Perception of a Crisis
The ongoing issues with miscommunication have contributed to a perceived crisis within the White House.
This is particularly concerning how the administration’s press office is managing and communicating important information about the President’s health.
Impact on Re-election Campaign
The mishandling of information regarding President Biden’s health comes at a time when there is significant pressure on him to demonstrate his fitness for office, especially as the next election cycle approaches.
This has fueled discussions about the viability of his re-election campaign.
Biden Still Intends To Run
Despite the criticism that Biden has faced around his health, he recently made clear his continuing efforts to run for a second term.
In a phone interview with MSNBC, Mr Biden said: “I am not going anywhere. I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t absolutely believe that I am the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in 2024. We had a Democratic nominating process where the voters spoke clearly.”
Biden’s Health Has Ruptured The House
Despite the efforts of Biden and his aides to reassure the public that he is in a fit state to rerun for president, the House is not so united on that front.
Several House Democrats have called for Biden to drop out of the race. Lloyd Doggett of Texas was the first to say that he was “hopeful that [he] will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw”.
Celebrity Input on Biden’s Candidacy
Notable figures, including George Clooney, have publicly voiced their concerns regarding President Biden’s continuing in the presidential race.
These comments add to the growing debate about his capacity to serve effectively.
Voters’ Confidence Is Wavering
Following the first presidential debate, voter intention shifted. While Democrats are usually not as likely to say they will “definitely” vote as Republicans, the debate gave Trump a three-point edge over President Biden across the swing states.
According to a survey by CBS News, half of Biden’s 2020 voters no longer think he should be running this year, and are therefore less likely to show up to the polls this year.
Press Briefing Challenges
At a press briefing, the focus sharply turned towards the administration’s transparency about President Biden’s health.
Karine Jean-Pierre insisted, “I did not mean to steer anybody wrong. I was still thinking about the medical exam. I was still thinking about the physical,” defending her previous misstatements amid intense media scrutiny.
Is A Lack Of Transparency Become White House Culture?
The series of missteps and lack of clarity about Biden’s health has sparked questions about a current culture of denial and non-disclosure in the White House.
Journalists have been left in the dark on what the situation is. Biden’s administration has held fewer press conferences and media interviews than any U.S. president since Ronald Reagan. It is an increasingly credible theory that this is deliberate to conceal his decline.
A Battle Between Media Outlets
Professor emeritus of communication, W. Joseph Campbell, said it depends on the outlets you are following whether Biden’s health is a new discussion as “Trump was ranting about Biden’s troubles and his gaffes in the 2020 campaign”.
The Wall Street Journal homed in on Trump’s ‘Sleepy Joe Biden’ epitaph by publishing a 3,000-word feature recalled detailed anecdotes about Biden’s cognitive abilities. An administration spokesman dismissed the stories as “false claims” by Republicans.
A Duty To Keep Americans Informed
The frustration trying to clarify what the situation is with regards to Biden’s health is not just coming from the White House, but reporters as well.
NBC News correspondent and president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Kelly O’Donnell, said: “Part of the reason we are pressing here is that we are not clear on what has happened, and therefore the American people to whom we report don’t have a sense of it.”
Biden’s Administration Is Looking Shady
Campbell told the Guardian that it is no longer necessary for Biden’s aides such as Jean-Pierre to “ladle” information to journalists and many media outlets would have found their own means of sussing out Biden’s current state.
However, the debacle with Jean-Pierre does provoke questions about whether we can expect the White House to keep up appearances for the rest of Biden’s campaign and whether this culture of smoke and mirrors will continue.
