US President Joe Biden, facing pressure from fellow Democrats to end his re-election campaign, tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Las Vegas on Wednesday and is now self-isolating after experiencing mild symptoms, the White House announced.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the positive test for the 81-year-old Democrat, which led to the cancellation of a scheduled speech.
“He is vaccinated, boosted, and experiencing mild symptoms,” Jean-Pierre stated.
As he boarded Air Force One to leave Las Vegas and recuperate in Delaware, Biden told reporters: “Good, I feel good.”
However, he climbed the stairs slowly, holding the railing tightly and pausing several times.
US President Joe Biden boards Air Force One as he departs Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 17, 2024, en route to Delaware. — AFP The illness comes at a crucial time for Biden, who is losing ground in battleground states against Republican Donald Trump, who is leading a triumphant convention this week after surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday.
The White House announced that Biden planned to spend a long weekend at his Delaware beach house, but it was unclear how long his illness would keep him off the campaign trail.
Minutes after the announcement, the president’s motorcade headed to the Las Vegas airport following a taped radio interview in the city.
Biden had greeted a couple of dozen people at a Mexican restaurant before the radio interview. He was running late for a speech to Latino civil rights group UnidosUS when the organizer, Janet Murguia, announced he had tested positive for COVID-19.
There were groans in the conference room upon hearing the news.
“He said to tell my folks that we’re not going to get rid of him that quickly, we’re going to have a chance to hear from him in the future directly,” Murguia relayed.
Biden, who had spent two nights in Vegas on the campaign trail, is contending with calls from some fellow Democrats who worry he is too old to seek re-election and want him to step aside for another candidate.
He has remained defiant in the face of these calls, telling one interviewer that only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to drop out of the race.
“He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” said Jean-Pierre.
Earlier on Wednesday, Biden suffered a blow when prominent Democratic House member Adam Schiff of California said it was time for him to “pass the torch” to someone else.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded on Tuesday, 40 percent of Democratic registered voters said Biden should end his re-election bid, with 65 percent of independent registered voters agreeing. Additionally, 58 percent of Democratic registered voters and 70 percent of independent registered voters believe Biden is too old to work in government.
The White House cited Biden’s doctor, who noted he had been experiencing upper respiratory symptoms earlier in the afternoon.
“He felt OK for his first event of the day, but since he was not feeling better, point-of-care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, which came back positive,” the statement said.
The White House added that Biden will be self-isolating in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines. His symptoms are mild, and he has received an initial dose of Paxlovid, the doctor reported.
Biden’s previous bout with COVID-19 began in July 2022. He tested positive on July 21, recovered on July 27, tested positive again with a rebound case on July 30, and was finally cleared on August 7.
