To pile onto an already insane week, where the nation witnessed the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, Joe Biden, who is facing persistent questions about his health and fitness for office, has tested positive for COVID. His planned address at the UnidosUS conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been canceled along with all other scheduled events on this trip:
A notable Covid positive for the president, who's already facing questions over his physical health and fitness for ofice https://t.co/K1qkvupxAO
— Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) July 17, 2024
Unidos leader just announced that @POTUS tested positive for COVID
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) July 17, 2024
Biden was scheduled to speak here 90 minutes ago. He had not left site of an earlier interview in Las Vegas area
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) July 17, 2024
BREAKING: Biden tests positive for COVID, scheduled events canceled - campaign
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 17, 2024
This diagnosis came when the president appeared to have provided an escape hatch for himself, saying he would drop out of the race should a medical condition arise (via NYT):
Biden says only a "medical condition" could make him drop out of the race pic.twitter.com/fUSKgGKwhB
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 17, 2024
President Biden said in an interview released on Wednesday that he would re-evaluate whether to stay in the presidential race if a doctor told him directly that he had a medical condition that made that necessary.
Mr. Biden has said repeatedly that none of his doctors have told him he has a serious medical condition. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, wrote after the president’s physical in February that Mr. Biden is “a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”
But his disastrous performance at a debate with former President Donald J. Trump last month, which prompted a wave of calls by Democratic allies to step aside, raised questions about his health and acuity.
In an interview with Ed Gordon of BET News, Mr. Biden was asked if there was anything that would make him re-evaluate staying in the race.
“If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem,” Mr. Biden said, according to a brief excerpt released by the network.
Biden has faced renewed push from Hill Democrats to drop out. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) recently told donors that the Democratic Party faces an electoral wipeout if Biden remains in the race. He formally called on Biden to exit the race today. The DNC also scuttled plans for a rushed virtual roll call vote on Biden's nomination today. Is the dam about to break?
UPDATE: Biden is heading back to Delaware. CNN's Wolf Blitzer aghast the president wasn't wearing a mask. Yes, the walk up those little stairs onto Air Force One was brutal.
Biden, after canceling his Las Vegas remarks due to an alleged COVID diagnosis, very slowly ascends the short stairs and heads for "self-isolation" at his beach house in Delaware pic.twitter.com/3Re9es4J0x
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 17, 2024
POTUS heading back to DC, canceling Vegas remarks - tested positive for Covid. He has received a first dose of Paxlovid.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) July 17, 2024
KJP statement + note from his doctor: pic.twitter.com/I4tcQpirNh
UPDATE II: Biden was spreading his viral load all over restaurants in Las Vegas today.
WH now saying he is covid positive while doing this. https://t.co/SkAoYxTgrn
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 17, 2024