CBS News reporter Ed O’Keefe teed off on White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre this week over the administration’s lack of transparency surrounding President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.
The intense exchange during Monday’s press briefing came after the New York Post reported over the weekend that Parkinson’s disease expert Dr. Kevin Cannard has visited the White House at least 8 times over the last year.
The exchange erupted after Jean-Pierre refused to answer a question from another reporter who asked if Cannard’s visit to the White House was related to Biden’s health.
“It’s a very basic, direct question,” O’Keefe shouted. “That’s what you should be able to answer by this point.”
“No, no, no, no, no,” Jean-Pierre immediately pushed back. “Ed, please. A little respect here. Please.”
Jean-Pierre claimed that Biden has seen a neurologist three times during his three years in the White House as part of his physical exams.
“So every time he has a physical, he has had to see a neurologist. So that is answering that question,” she claimed.
“No, it’s not,” O’Keefe correctly noted. “Has Dr. Kevin Cannard come to the White House specifically about the president’s condition?”
Jean-Pierre responded by claiming: “Ed, I also said to you for security reasons, we cannot share names. We cannot share names. We cannot share names of specialists broadly from our dermatologist to neurologist. We cannot share names. There are security reasons-”
“They’re on the visitors log. It’s public,” O’Keefe responded. “I looked at it before I got here. It’s right there for anyone to see.”
“Ed, I hear you,” Jean-Pierre told the reporter. “I cannot, from here, confirm any of that because we have to keep their privacy. I think they would appreciate that, too.”
O’Keefe said that reporters were upset by the lack of transparency from the administration and the withholding of information regarding Biden’s health.
“I am telling you right now that I am not sharing, confirming names from here,” Jean-Pierre lashed out. “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. … I’m just not going to do that. It is inappropriate. It is not acceptable. So I’m not going to do it.”
WATCH:
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[[{“value”:”
CBS News reporter Ed O’Keefe teed off on White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre this week over the administration’s lack of transparency surrounding President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.
The intense exchange during Monday’s press briefing came after the New York Post reported over the weekend that Parkinson’s disease expert Dr. Kevin Cannard has visited the White House at least 8 times over the last year.
The exchange erupted after Jean-Pierre refused to answer a question from another reporter who asked if Cannard’s visit to the White House was related to Biden’s health.
“It’s a very basic, direct question,” O’Keefe shouted. “That’s what you should be able to answer by this point.”
“No, no, no, no, no,” Jean-Pierre immediately pushed back. “Ed, please. A little respect here. Please.”
Jean-Pierre claimed that Biden has seen a neurologist three times during his three years in the White House as part of his physical exams.
“So every time he has a physical, he has had to see a neurologist. So that is answering that question,” she claimed.
“No, it’s not,” O’Keefe correctly noted. “Has Dr. Kevin Cannard come to the White House specifically about the president’s condition?”
Jean-Pierre responded by claiming: “Ed, I also said to you for security reasons, we cannot share names. We cannot share names. We cannot share names of specialists broadly from our dermatologist to neurologist. We cannot share names. There are security reasons-”
“They’re on the visitors log. It’s public,” O’Keefe responded. “I looked at it before I got here. It’s right there for anyone to see.”
“Ed, I hear you,” Jean-Pierre told the reporter. “I cannot, from here, confirm any of that because we have to keep their privacy. I think they would appreciate that, too.”
O’Keefe said that reporters were upset by the lack of transparency from the administration and the withholding of information regarding Biden’s health.
“I am telling you right now that I am not sharing, confirming names from here,” Jean-Pierre lashed out. “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. … I’m just not going to do that. It is inappropriate. It is not acceptable. So I’m not going to do it.”
WATCH:
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