The White House has now acknowledged that Joe Biden was consulted by his doctor just days after the televised debate

“A few days later, the president checked his cold and made a good recovery,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said. CNN.

On Wednesday, CNN asked Karine Jean-Pierre at a White House press conference whether the president had gotten “any health” since his health condition in February, to which the press secretary replied:

“We were able to talk to his doctor about it, and the answer was no.”

When Biden was seen by his doctor after the debate, it was for a “brief checkup” and not a “physical exam,” a White House official said.

CNN did not ask Jean-Pierre Wednesday if Biden had had any other medical conditions since February, but rather “any medical tests.”

Politics It was first reported that Biden told some Democratic governors in a private meeting Wednesday night that he had a medical exam after last week’s debate and was fine.

A reporter asked Jean-Pierre to clarify whether the president had been tested by his doctor for a cold in the days surrounding the debate:

“He was going to the debate, the doctor was with him, he caught a cold, he was 81 years old. Didn’t the doctor examine him?”, the reporter asked.

“The doctor hasn’t checked him. He’s got a cold, guys. A cold,” she said. “I know it affects everyone differently. We’ve all had colds, so no, it hasn’t been seen by a doctor.”

CNN reported Thursday that Biden privately acknowledged to an associate earlier this week that the next few days are critical to whether he can salvage his re-election bid.

The White House and its staff have insisted the president is not considering ending the campaign. When asked about concerns about Biden’s age, top aides repeatedly and emphatically cited his aggressive international travel schedule as examples of his vitality and ability to get the job done at 81.