President Joe Biden, 81, had a post-debate “verbal check-in” with his physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, despite telling reporters that Biden had not had any recent medical exams earlier this week.
“He did have a short verbal check-in in the recent days about his cold, it wasn’t a medical exam or a physical,” Jean-Pierre said. “It was a conversation, and his doctor didn’t think an examination was necessary.”
Jean-Pierre added that the doctor’s call was “not unusual” and that Biden has a 24/7 medical unit that travels with him.
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“That is not because of just this president, because it’s all presidents and it is a very different experience than what we understand that the American people experience,” she said.
After Biden reportedly told Democratic governors during a private meeting at the White House this week that he doesn’t get enough sleep and has to cut off working after 8 p.m., Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard the Air Force One flight to a Wisconsin rally that Biden “is human” and is taking “a balanced approach.”
“He is human, just like we all are,” she said. “But it is a 24/7 job. It is 365 days – that doesn’t change.”
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Jean-Pierre’s comments come just hours before Biden’s pre-recorded ABC interview with former Democratic operative George Stephanopoulos airs. Biden will be vying to dispel age-related health concerns among his base and middle-ground voters.
Jean-Pierre was pressed about the president’s health during a press briefing on Wednesday and explicitly told reporters that Biden has not had any medical exams since his last annual physical in February.
“Has the president had any medical exams since his last annual physical in February?” CNN’s Min Jung “MJ” Lee asked.
“And got – and we were able to talk to the – to his doctor about that, and that is a no,” Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre reiterated that the 81-year-old president had not received any kind of medical exam.
“He hasn’t had any kind of medical exam?” Jung said.
“No,” Jean-Pierre replied.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
