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WH: "Cannot Confirm" Why Parkinson's Specialist Met With White House Physician Earlier This Year. Aired 3-3:30p ET
Aired July 08, 2024 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:00]
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I did not mean to steer anybody wrong. I was still thinking about the medical exam. I was still thinking about the physical. That's how I answered the question.
And then when it became - when the President actually spoke to it, we actually - I went back, asked the medical doctor, and he said they had a verbal check-in. That's what he said. But in answering the question, I was talking about the medical exam. I was talking about the physical.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then you - a quick one, (INAUDIBLE) reporting last 24 hours about a Parkinson's expert who's come to visit the White House almost a dozen
times over the last year or so, including at least one meeting with the President's physician. Could you state, like, very clearly, yes or no, is that expert here to participate in anything surrounding the care of the President of the United States?
JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just say a couple of things. We have had a comprehensive - and I just want to take another step back - comprehensive physical examination. The President has had that. We've given a comprehensive report. We've shared that the past three years.
Every year that he has - every year that he has had this exam, he sees a neurologist. And just to give you a quote from that - from the report most recently, in February, an extremely detailed neurological exam was, again, reassuring in that there were no findings which would be consistent with "any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or ascending lateral sclerosis," end quote.
So, that came directly from - in February, in that comprehensive report that was provided by the President's doctor to me that I share with all of you. So, anyone who is watching can certainly go to our website.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not an answer to the question, though, was this expert's visits - was his multiple visits to the White House pertaining at all to the President's care?
JEAN-PIERRE: Well, here's the thing. I've said he's - he has had three - he has - had three physicals. In those three physicals, that's when he has seen a specialist, a neurological specialist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: I have to be super mindful here - and this is why, and I'll explain this to you in a second. There are thousands of military personnel who come onto this White House. Many of them get the care from the White House Medical Unit and so I need to be super careful.
There are - you know, the Medical Unit hosts a wide range of specialists, from dermatologists to neurologists. And so, I cannot speak to every person because there are actually - there's actually security reasons to protect their privacy. We respect and protecting people's privacy. So, I do not want to share - I'm not going to share people's names from here.
But the President, I can tell you, has seen a neurologist three times as it's connected to the - to a physical that he gets every year that we provide to all of them.
ED O'KEEFE, CBS NEWS: But, Karine, you're not answering the question, a very basic, direct question.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
O'KEEFE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Hold on. Wait, wait, wait ...
O'KEEFE: ... come to the White House ...
JEAN-PIERRE: ... wait, wait, wait a second ...
O'KEEFE: ... to ...
JEAN-PIERRE: ... wait.
O'KEEFE: ... eight times, or at least once, in regards to the President ...
JEAN-PIERRE: I just - wait ...
O'KEEFE: ... specifically ...
JEAN-PIERRE: ... hold on a second.
O'KEEFE: That much you should be able to answer by this point ...
JEAN-PIERRE: But - no, no, no, no, no, no ...
O'KEEFE: ... after four days of reporting about it.
JEAN-PIERRE: ... no, wait a minute. Calm. Ed, please. A little respect here, please. So, every year, around the President's physical examination, he sees a neurologist. That's three times, right? So, I am telling you that he has seen a neurologist three times while he has been in this presidency. That's what I'm saying.
O'KEEFE: Here at the White House or Walter Reed?
KJP: I'm telling you that he has seen them three times. That is what I'm sharing with you, right? So, every time he has a physical, he has had to see a neurologist. So, that is answering that question.
O'KEEFE: No, it's not.
JEAN-PIERRE: No, it is. It is. You're asking me ...
O'KEEFE: Dr. Kevin Kennard come to the White House ...
JEAN-PIERRE: ... I cannot - But I just - I also said to you, Ed, I also said to you, for security reasons, we cannot share names. We cannot share names. We have to ...
O'KEEFE: You cannot share names of others he would have met with.
JEAN-PIERRE: We cannot ...
O'KEEFE: But you cannot share names in regards to - if someone came here in regards to the President.
JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no, no, no, we cannot share names of specialists broadly, from a dermatologist to a neurologist. We cannot share names. There are security reasons.
O'KEEFE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: We have to protect ...
O'KEEFE: It's public.
JEAN-PIERRE: I understand that.
O'KEEFE: (INAUDIBLE) before I came out here.
JEAN-PIERRE: I hear you.
O'KEEFE: It's right there for anyone to see.
JEAN-PIERRE: I - Ed, I hear you. I cannot, from here, confirm any of that because we have to keep their privacy. I think they would appreciate that, too. We have to give them ...
O'KEEFE: (INAUDIBLE) or the doctor?
JEAN-PIERRE: We have to keep their privacy.
O'KEEFE: It is public information.
JEAN-PIERRE: I hear you.
(CROSSTALK)
JEAN-PIERRE: Guys? Guys? Guys?
O'KEEFE: (INAUDIBLE) the White House answers the question.
JEAN-PIERRE: Guys? Hold on a second, there's no reason to get back and go back and forth and be in this aggressive way.
O'KEEFE: Well, we are a little missed around here about how information has been shared with the press corps around here.
JEAN-PIERRE: What do you missed about? What do you missed about?
O'KEEFE: Everything he just asked about.
JEAN-PIERRE: What do you - and then, every time, I come back and I answer the question that you guys asked.
O'KEEFE: And you answered it incorrectly. You didn't have to come back and clean that up (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: I never answer the question incorrectly. That is not true. I was asked about a medical exam. I was asked about a physical. That was in the line of question that I answered.
[15:05:03]
And I said, no, he did not have a medical exam. And I still stand by that. Matter of fact, the President still stands by that. He had a verbal check-in. That is something that the President has a couple times a week. A couple times a week.
O'KEEFE: Now, in regards to Dr. Kevin Kennard ...
JEAN-PIERRE: And I am telling you right now that I am not sharing confirming names from here. It is a security reason. I am not going to do that, Ed. It doesn't matter how hard you push me. It doesn't matter how angry you get with me. I'm not going to confirm a name. It doesn't matter if it's even in the log. I am not going to do that from here. That is not something I am going to do.
What I can share with you is that the President has seen a neurologist for his physical three times. Three times. And it is in the reporting that we share. A comprehensive reporting. Matter of fact, it's more than what the last guy shared. And it is in line with what George W. Bush did. It's in line with what Obama did. And so it is comprehensive. It is out there. I just read a quote from it.
But I am not - I am not going to devolve somebody's name or confirm someone. I am not going to do that. That is as - 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'm just not going to do that. It is inappropriate. It is not acceptable. So I'm not going to do it.
(Crosstalk)
JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead (INAUDIBLE) ... UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you cannot confirm the name ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you confirm whether or not the President has seen this Parkinson's specialist? And you mentioned three times that the visitor logs show a duration of eight visits over eight months. I think that is the crux of the question with Ed.
JEAN-PIERRE: But I also said there are thousands of military personnel that come to the White House and they are under the care of the medical unit. They are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So can you confirm that the Parkinson's visits - specialist visits were for the President or not?
JEAN-PIERRE: I - what I can tell you is that the President has seen a neurologist three times and I read to you what the neurologist has said. And I read to you the last line. I could say it again. No findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, or ascending lateral sclerosis. That is from February. That is coming from February. That is what the medical unit, the President's doctor shared.
And I shared - said to you, it's happened three times. Each time there is a physical that occurs and we put out a comprehensive report, that is when he has been able to see a specialist. So that's what I can share.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a follow up question on this. Has the President - you mentioned Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, all of these things. One diagnosis that we have heard of a potential diagnosis is hydrocephalus, which is fluid buildup in the brain. It's something we've never heard in any of the medical reports. Is that something that the President has been evaluated?
JEAN-PIERRE: If it's not in the medical report, obviously, it's not something that the President is dealing with.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has been evaluated.
JEAN-PIERRE: Well, 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 confirm a specialist, any specialist that comes to - come to the White House out of privacy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One other question, is - will the President go to the Hill today? I know we saw this letter. Is he intending to have this conversation face-to-face with them?
JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the President, obviously, this is someone who is a senator for 36 years, who was the President of the Senate as when he was Vice President for eight years. And he respects, truly respects the members of Congress and has always and will always do that, especially as a former senator.
And I will say, and you've heard us say this before or most recently, this is a president who's won the primary, right, by 14 million votes. Eighty-seven percent of those votes, certainly. And, look, I don't have any engagements to read out, you know, outside of that. But I will say that the President was in Pennsylvania. I just mentioned at the top, he got to see Sen. Fetterman, Sen. Casey. He also got to see Congresswoman Dean. He spent some time with them. They traveled across Pennsylvania.
And I will say, when the President gets knocked down, he gets back up. This is quintessential Joe Biden. And there are a long list of other congressional members who have shown their support for this president. I don't have anything else to read out. You saw the letter. The letter was, I think, pretty, pretty clear on where the President stands and I'll just leave it there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've noted that there are thousands within the Walter Reed system who may be treated by a specialist who visits here at the White House.
[15:10:00]
But this neurologist had a meeting with the President's physician, with his doctor.
JEAN-PIERRE: I understand that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're refusing to say if he was here to evaluate the President ...
JEAN-PIERRE: I understand.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... or if he was consulting on the President's health. So, what, then, was that meeting about?
JEAN-PIERRE: And I will say that Dr. O'Connor leads the medical unit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: He's literally the - he leads the medical unit. No, because we will not confirm or speak to names that you're providing to me. It is out of security reason. It is out of protecting someone's privacy. We're just not going to do that. But they are - the reason that I mention that is because there are a thousand military members that do, indeed, use the White House medical unit. They do. They get care from them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we're not talking about those people. We're talking about the President of the United States.
JEAN-PIERRE: I know, but I'm trying - but I - guys, I'm trying to answer the question so you can connect the dot, that there are multiple neurologists that come - not neurologists - specialists - that come through here because there are - like, more than a thousand medical military personnel here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But you certainly could clear this all up just by saying what he was doing here and if it was connected to the President, yes or no.
JEAN-PIERRE: I am not going to confirm that a particular neurologist, anybody - it doesn't matter if they're a dermatologist or a neurologist - I'm just not going to do that. I shared with all of you that the President has met, has been with a neurologist three times as it relates to his physical, three times, so, you know ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: I just not - I mean, guys, I'm just not going to do that out of security reasons, out of privacy. It is not something that I'm going to do. A measure of privacy, we have to be able to give people from here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One other question.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The President's ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Hold on, guys. Come on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The President's doctor, you say, has seen no reason to evaluate him for Parkinson's since his physical in February. Is that based on these verbal check-ins that you've been describing based on his public appearances?
JEAN-PIERRE: Can we say that one more time?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've said that the President's doctor has seen no reason to evaluate him or reevaluate him for Parkinson's since that physical in February. What is that based on? Is it these verbal check- ins?
JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I never said that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: What I have said is - what I have said is that he just had a physical just in February, and the physical was very clear. It was a comprehensive physical. It's - we gave out a report on that. And, you know, as it relates to the check-ins, that is something that is common. The President has a medical unit that is literally down the hall that he's able to check in with when necessary. They normally do it while he's exercising. That is not uncommon.
It is very different. It is very different than any everyday American. They do not have that option. They do not have that access. Because he's President of the United States, every other president has had that access and they are able to do that. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, wait, just to be clear, yes or no ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... has he - has his physician seen a reason to reevaluate him for Parkinson's since the February physical?
JEAN-PIERRE: No. The comprehensive report that you all have stands. There is - we - the President, obviously, will have another physical, and we'll wait for that physical.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Karine?
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Karine, so the President has said twice that he's had neurological evaluations as part of his physicals, you know, in these various interviews today and also on ABC. But there have been a number of people who have said, listen, you know, why don't you have a cognitive test just to rule out that there are any issues?
Would the President, you know, do you - you know, would you counsel him to do that just to sort of put an end to these questions?
JEAN-PIERRE: And no - Audrey (ph), I hear you. The neurologists have said it is not warranted. The President himself, he said it today. He said it multiple times. And the doctor has said this. Everything that he does, day in and day out, as it relates to delivering for the American people, is a cognitive test. And that is what the medical doctor has said. That is what the specialist has said.
I do want to - I just want to take a step back for a second, because I do take offense to what Ed alluded to. You know, come out here. Every day, there's a press briefing. And we do our best to give you the information that we have at the time. That's what we do.
And we understand the freedom of the press. We respect the freedom of the press. You heard me talk about this last week. We - I appreciate the back and forth that we all have. It is - I try to respect you, and I hope you try to respect me. And we literally do everything that we can. My team does everything that we can to make sure we get the answers to you. That's what we do.
And sometimes we disagree. Sometimes we are not in agreement. But you know what? That's democracy. That is what is important, to have that healthy back and forth. And so, to say that I'm holding information or allude to anything else is not fair. It's really, really unfair. I think people who are watching and have been watching this briefing for this past week could say that we are doing our best in this briefing to provide the information that we have.
[15:15:05]
And I will admit - I will be the first one to admit - sometimes I get it wrong. At least I admit that. At least I admit that. And sometimes I don't have the information. And I will always, always admit that. But I do take offense to what was just happening at the beginning of this briefing. It's not okay. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are seeking clarity.
JEAN-PIERRE: I understand that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think what we're trying to say is when a name is in a public record on a WAVES (ph) form, that it is in the public domain.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The President could authorize that his medical records or additional medical information could be made public because he could waive HIPAA, he could do those things.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if he chooses to do that, we would like to know more. Part of the reason we are pressing here is that we are not clear on what has happened.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And therefore, the American people whom - to whom we report don't have a sense of it. So that's what we're trying to do.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so ...
JEAN-PIERRE: But the personal attacks is not okay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so we want to have a positive ...
JEAN-PIERRE: I just want to be very, very clear here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So the question is - one question is, after a debate that drew days, and days and days of scrutiny, why hasn't the President had an in-person physical check-in, maybe blood work, maybe other things.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because when he said he was seen, I certainly thought he had been physically seen, not a phone check.
JEAN-PIERRE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So as - and that's part of what we're saying about ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... how information comes out in waves ...
JEAN-PIERRE: (INAUDIBLE) ... UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... and then we may have a different impression, so ...
JEAN-PIERRE: And I totally understand that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... this has terminated his presidency for 10 days.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he could submit to another exam, a full exam, partial exam, whatever. He can waive his right to make things public. None of us are asking about the military members who might be seeing a physician here. None of us. We are only asking ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... about the President's well-being.
JEAN-PIERRE: Understood.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so that's why we want to understand. When you see ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... on the public records that a physician with his specialty has come to the White House, gone to the residence clinic, and met with the President's physician, we feel like there is more to be said there. And that's what we're asking.
JEAN-PIERRE: And I understand that, Kellio (ph). And you know I respect you wholeheartedly and I've known you for some time. We want to be also - because we are particular - we are talking about someone whose name - who is out there. And I understand, I get it, it's in the law. I get that. It's in the law.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's the security concern?
JEAN-PIERRE: We want to - we want to respect that person and give them the measure of privacy that they deserve. The moment I say anything about any specialist, it becomes a thing from this podium. So what I can share - and this is what I can share. He has seen a neurologist three times. Three times. Not more - not ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: ... not more than that. Not more than that. He's seen a neurologist three times. And that is connected to the physical, the comprehensive physical that we have been able to share with you. So I think that gives you some information about how many times, three times.
And the reason why I am sharing that there are thousands of military personnel - so you also have an understanding because there are a thousand military personnel that comes here. And that - not just comes here, but under the care of the medical unit, right? They get care from the White House Medical Unit. They - there tends to be dermatologists from - dermatologists to neurologists who come through here. Who come through here because the White House Medical Unit is indeed caring for folks.
So I have confirmed three times. Three times. I just cannot get into details or confirm a name of a person. I cannot do that. There's security reasons. We have to give people a measure of privacy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you ask the President if he would waive some of his records and make those public?
JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I don't know how all of that works. I'm not going to pretend. I know how that works. And what I will do is certainly - we'll share that information with the powers that be - I just don't want to get into a back-and-forth on that particular question.
Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks, Karine. I mean, to Kellio's (ph) point ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... the President today, when he called in to Morning Joe, he said that he had released all of his medical records. Should we take that as an indication that he's going to do so?
JEAN-PIERRE: Well, look, what I can say is that we have shared a comprehensive medical report that is pretty detailed, that is in line with other Presidents - certainly not the last one, but the ones - the two before the last President. And we have been pretty much in line with what they have been - what they have done. What - to be more clear, George W. Bush and also President Obama. So we've been ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The last one did let his daughters come to the briefing room and speak to us.
JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. And we know what that last President said from this briefing room, okay?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: That only did three - I think three or four paragraphs, very different - very different approach.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: During the call today to MSNBC ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, sure.
[15:20:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... was the President reading off from a script?
JEAN-PIERRE: So, I was in the room when the President called in to Morning Joe. The President spoke from his heart. The President was very clear there was no script at all. And he was very detailed. You heard him say, actually, during the call, that he was reading some quotes. He said it. He shared that information. He was reading some quotes from the debate. So he shared that with you.
What you heard was a passionate interview. It was about 18 minutes. He talked about and laid out his vision for this country. He talked about how he wants to make sure we move forward. I want to be really careful, because he also talked about the campaign, which I can't do from here. But he - you know, I think it was incredibly powerful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was reading quotes, but not from a script?
JEAN-PIERRE: No, it was not a script. I was in the room. It was not a script.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a big voice press conference, how many questions should we expect that he is going to take?
JEAN-PIERRE: So look, it is going to be a solo press conference. It is going to be certainly more than a two plus two. I'm not going to - we're still working it out, so I'm not going to go into specifics from here. But you could expect a solo press conference from this president at the end of the NATO summit. He's looking forward to it, and he will be taking your questions. So that'll be a good thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Karine? Karine? Something different ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Karine?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Karine?
(CROSSTALK)
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Thank you. Karine, I have two questions.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
TAUSCHE: A follow-up on Dr. Kennard. And that is ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
TAUSCHE: ... can you explain what the role of Megan Massworthy (ph) is? Does she oversee care for some of those military personnel that you were referencing as a group or does she oversee care for the President?
JEAN-PIERRE: I - again, I want to be careful here. I know who you're speaking of. I don't have her full portfolio in front of me, so I would have - my team and I will be happy to get back to you.
TAUSCHE: Okay. And then on the President's and the White House's engagement with House Democrats ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes. TAUSCHE: And Democrats more broadly, there was an article a month ago in the Wall Street Journal that the White House universally panned, because the on-the-record quotes criticizing the President's age and acuity were largely from Republicans. But I want to ask about the graphs in that story about Democrats. It said (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: (INAUDIBLE) full story.
TAUSCHE: Sorry. It said that the White House kept close tabs on the Journal's interviews with Democratic lawmakers. And after the offices of several Democrats shared with the White House either a recording of an interview or details about what was asked, some of those lawmakers spoke to the Journal a second time and once again emphasized Biden's strength. They quote Congressman Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat, saying, "They just, you know, said that I should give you a call back."
I'm wondering if you could characterize what the White House told Democrats to tell reporters about the (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: I think the Democrats spoke for themselves. I think, you know, you know how stories work. It - there is a lot of back and forth. When you all come with a story from us and we want to make sure you hear from other voices, we make that available to you all. It is up to the reporter if they're going to reach out or not to that particular person.
But we expect and we anticipate and we understand that it doesn't matter who, if it's a congressperson or a governor or any elected official, they're going to speak for themselves. They're going to speak for themselves. And I would say that Rep. Greg Meeks has also been very supportive.
If you fast forward to where we are today, Representative Meeks has very - been very supportive of this president, continuing moving forward. And we've heard from many others, many others, CBC, more broadly, has been very supportive. We heard from the chair, Chairman Horsford from the CBC. And so that is the type of support that we continue to see.
TAUSCHE: So there hasn't been outreach by the White House to Democrats who might have misgivings about the President's age or acuity to have them say positive things about the President publicly?
JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not really - I don't quite understand where you're going with the question. I think I explained it sometimes when you all are working on stories and we want to hear - you want to - we - and we were trying to provide supporters from the President, that is not unusual. And it is up to the reporter to reach out or not.
And so that is something that we certainly do. That is something that, you know, that is not uncommon. And, but what I would say more broadly, there are congressional members as we're talking about what's happening in Congress, as we're talking about the President's outreach, as we're talking about, you know, how we move forward. There are congressional members out there who have been incredibly supportive.
So we have to remember there are hundreds of House members. And so, you know, there are folks out there.
TAUSCHE: Can you talk a little bit about the President's outreach today and tomorrow at one of these all conference and all caucus meetings?
JEAN-PIERRE: So what I can say is that, as you all know, the President has done some outreach. He's spoke about it himself. I can say as of today, he has - he is engaged with dozens of members, whether in person or on calls. We saw him engaging with congressional members over the weekend.
[15:25:01]
We saw him doing that on several of the trips that he has done over the past 10 days. There have been about six states that he's been able to stop over and do - and engage with supporters, so he's been able to do that.
And there's a long list, I'm trying to spare you the list here, but there is a long list: Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. John Fetterman, Sen. Alex Padilla, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Raphael Warnock, it goes on and on. Representative Clyburn, Al Green, Horsford, as I mentioned already, there has been a long list of, we believe, incredibly supportive, supportive congressional members who have continued ...
TAUSCHE: (INAUDIBLE) that have been provided to us from the campaign, too, but I'm wondering if the President has spoken directly with Leader Schumer and Minority Leader Jeffries in the last 24 hours, and whether the President (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: (INAUDIBLE) the President, we - I hear you. We shared that just last week, that the President spoke to the leadership, obviously on the Democratic side.
TAUSCHE: Has he spoken to them since yesterday?
JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything to read out to you as far as what we've shared with you last week, but the President has been in regular touch, and those conversations went very, very well. I think he mentioned, in particular, Leader Jeffries, that went almost for an hour. The President said that himself.
He said how much they had a very, very good conversation. The President saw Congresswoman Dean, as I mentioned. He saw both senators of Pennsylvania, as well, yesterday, traveled across the state, and had really two big events with supporters, with Americans who got to hear directly from the President and I think that's important.
Again, Michael.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Karine, were all three of President Biden's neurological exams that you've confirmed, were they all conducted at Walter Reed?
JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I don't have anything to state as to location. What I can say for sure, that he has seen a neurologist three times, as it relates to the exam that he takes every year, and I just don't have a location to speak to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, let me just try a different way.
JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, has any neurologist (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: And you know - and you also know that the President does go to Walter Reed ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: ... to do ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Right, to do these - his physical exam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, has any neurologist, I'm not talking about ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... anyone in particular, regardless of the identity name of that person. Has any neurologist came to the White House to visit President Biden?
JEAN-PIERRE: What I can tell you, during those exams that he - that we have been able to do every year for the past three years, and there is a comprehensive exam that we share, a comprehensive report that we share with all of you, he has seen a neurologist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's why I'm trying to clarify, it seems like those were taken at Walter Reed. And it's an important distinction (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: You all know that he does indeed go to Walter Reed as part of his physical exam. That is no secret. That is something that he does. And I also confirmed that he sees a neurologist every time that he's done these exams. I don't have anything beyond that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay, thanks.
(CROSSTALK)
JEAN-PIERRE: I know. Go ahead, April.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Karine, as you're talking - as everyone's talking about neurological issues, this is different but kind of on that same page. The President has had two aneurysms, okay? And there are complications from aneurysms to include impaired short-term memory, inability to concentrate, as well as speech difficulties. Have any neurologists worked with him or just tried to observe him as he is a person who has suffered from two aneurysms that could have been fatal?
JEAN-PIERRE: Look, April, in the comprehensive reporting that we share with all of you on a yearly basis, the neurological exam have been detailed, extremely detailed. It is directly from the doctor. They talk about the specifics of that neurological exam. And so I would refer you to the six-page comprehensive memo. And that's what I refer you to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But that is something that we know about, that he had two aneurysms.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And that is part, all of those complications are part of a neurological exam. Have they tested for that at all, do you know?
JEAN-PIERRE: What I can tell you is that the - the exams have been detailed. They have been extensive. And that's what I can share with you. I would refer you to the document, to the report.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And last question.
JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're just days away from the Republican Convention. How do you, as this White House who stands behind this president, how do you work to do an image change or an image change to revamp him, to make him shinier and brighter, if you will?
JEAN-PIERRE: So I'm not going to speak to the Republican Convention. That's something that I'm not going to do. But I am going to ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...
JEAN-PIERRE: Wait, hold on - wait, hold on a second. Hold on, give me a second.
[15:30:00]
Look, in the past 10 days, the President has gone to six states. He has. He's gone to North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, Pennsylvania, I know that's a Commonwealth ...
