The White House announced Wednesday that President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while on a campaign trip to Las Vegas. According to his team, the 81-year-old president was fully vaccinated and boosted; he reportedly had mild symptoms and is now isolating at his home in Delaware.
Earlier in the day, Biden was seen shaking hands with diners at a local restaurant ahead of his scheduled speaking time at an event organized by UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights organization. The president was slated to speak, but the UnidosUS CEO came out on stage to tell the audience that Biden wouldn’t be joining them after testing positive for COVID-19.
In a statement, Biden tried to allay fears: “I know how to do this job. We’re not going to get rid of me that quickly.” Positive test and mild symptoms notwithstanding, Biden boarded Air Force One to return home and follow isolation protocols.
This development comes amid growing calls for Joe Biden to reconsider his bid for another term in office. Some fellow Democrats, like Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democrat Adam Schiff, have come out to question Biden’s age and capacity to lead the country any further.
Some sources close to the process told ABC News that, in a Saturday meeting, Schumer told Biden that it might be for the best interest of the country and the Democratic Party if he were to end his re-election campaign. However, Schumer’s office has called the reports mere idle speculation and said that Schumer expressed views of his caucus directly to the president.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this week reported that 40 percent of Democratic registered voters believe Biden should drop his re-election bid, with 65 percent of independent registered voters agreeing.
Not cowed by this, Biden puts an emphasis on his commitment to the office and the nation. His fight against COVID-19 is certainly going to be watched: how it impacts his presidential campaign plans and political decisions.
