President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Las Vegas on Wednesday and is now self-isolating in Delaware after experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said. The diagnosis comes as Biden faces pressure from fellow Democrats to reconsider his re-election campaign.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the test results, noting that the 81-year-old president is vaccinated and boosted.
“He is experiencing mild symptoms,” Jean-Pierre said.
Before boarding Air Force One to return to Delaware, Biden told reporters, “Good, I feel good,” though he climbed the stairs slowly, holding the railing tightly and pausing intermittently.
The diagnosis arrives at a pivotal moment for Biden, who is trailing in key battleground states against former President Donald Trump. Trump is currently headlining a convention after surviving an assassination attempt last Saturday. The White House said Biden plans to spend the long weekend at his Delaware beach house, but it is unclear how long he will remain off the campaign trail.
Following the announcement, Biden’s motorcade quickly headed to the Las Vegas airport. Earlier, Biden had greeted several people at a Mexican restaurant before heading to a radio interview. He was scheduled to deliver a speech to UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights group, when organizer Janet Murguia informed the audience of his positive test.
There were audible groans in the conference room. “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 directly in the future,” Murguia said.
Biden, who spent two nights in Las Vegas campaigning, is facing calls from some Democrats who worry he is too old to seek re-election and want him to step aside. Despite this, he has remained defiant, telling one interviewer that only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to quit.
“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,” Jean-Pierre said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Biden faced another setback when Representative Adam Schiff of California suggested it was time for him to “pass the torch” to someone else. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Tuesday, 40 percent of Democratic registered voters and 65 percent of independents believe Biden should end his re-election bid. Additionally, 58 percent of Democratic voters and 70 percent of independents think Biden is too old to continue working in government.
The White House noted that Biden had been experiencing upper respiratory symptoms earlier in the afternoon. “He felt OK 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,” the statement said.
Biden is self-isolating in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. His symptoms are mild, and he has received an initial dose of Paxlovid, his doctor confirmed.
Biden previously had COVID-19 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.
