Amid ongoing concern about President Joe Biden’s physical and cognitive health, the White House has canceled a planned speaking event in Las Vegas, Nevada, over a supposed illness.
According to a statement issued by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden has tested positive for COVID-19. “Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19,” the statement read. “He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms. He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.”
The press release also included a statement from Biden’s doctor, who claimed that the president had “felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus.”
According to the statement, the White House promised to continue providing “regular updates” about Biden’s health status — though they claimed that Biden will continue “to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.”
Biden was supposed to be speaking at the UnidosUS annual conference on Wednesday, which is “one of the largest gatherings of Latinos and allies committed to increasing opportunity and driving social justice for the Latino community,” according to the conference’s website.
This news comes amid growing calls from within the Democrat Party to replace Biden on the party’s 2024 presidential ticket after his abysmal performance in the first presidential debate, which only further highlighted the president’s cognitive decline — forcing Democrats to finally acknowledge the problem that conservatives have been talking about for years. However, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has reportedly been planning to quash this rebellion within its ranks by moving up the timetable to officially nominate Biden as the Democrat candidate for president two weeks earlier than scheduled, meaning that the president only has to fend off calls for his ouster for roughly two more weeks before it becomes nearly impossible to replace him on the ticket.
Many on social media have begun arguing that Biden’s alleged illness is part of an effort to keep him out of the public eye as much as possible to avoid further confirming his cognitive decline — or perhaps even part of a planned excuse for Biden to drop out.
"Biden will not be able to join us. He just tested positive for COVID"
It begins. pic.twitter.com/tS4GUiCBsh
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 17, 2024
Meanwhile, MSNBC hosts responded to the news of Biden’s COVID diagnosis by comparing the 81-year-old president surviving an illness to his challenger, former President Donald Trump, surviving an assassination attempt.
Yes, Joy Reid and Jen Psaki, Biden surviving COVID is *exactly* as heroic and inspiring as Trump surviving an assassination attempt.
pic.twitter.com/THpvL9vYCv— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 17, 2024