US President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas, according to a statement from the White House. He is experiencing mild symptoms and will self-isolate in Delaware, where he will continue to perform his duties.
The 81-year-old Democrat showed a thumbs up from his limousine and said “I feel good”. But the President cut short a campaign trip to Las Vegas following the diagnosis.
According to the White House reports, Biden was suffering from a runny nose, cough and “general malaise,” was taking Covid medication, and was flying straight to isolation at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Biden’s positive test result, which led to the cancellation of a planned speech. “He is vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms,” Jean-Pierre said. She also added that Biden will self-isolate in Delaware. Although, he will continue to fulfill his responsibilities.
Biden’s diagnosis came shortly after an interview aired on Wednesday in which he mentioned he would only reconsider his presidential campaign if faced with a significant medical issue. “If I had some medical condition that emerged, if doctors came to me and said, ‘You have this problem, that problem’,” Biden told BET host Ed Gordon in a video clip shared on social media.
Biden’s COVID diagnosis does not arrive at a convenient time. He is dealing with an increasing amount of criticism from members of his own Democratic party regarding his eligibility to run for a second term in office. Furthermore, it removes him from the campaign trail at a moment when his opponent, Donald Trump, is doing everything right, including his appearances at the Republican National Convention and the attempted assassination.
