President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the cancellation of a significant campaign event aimed at gaining support from Latino voters. The event was a crucial part of his re-election strategy, according to CNN. Biden, 81, is experiencing mild symptoms and has begun taking the antiviral medication Paxlovid, as reported by his physician. “I feel good,” Biden, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, told reporters in Las Vegas. He gave a thumbs-up before boarding Air Force One to return to his Delaware residence, where he will self-isolate following CDC guidelines, as per CNN.
CNN reports that Biden, in private discussions, is becoming more open to conversations about his political future. He has transitioned from stating “Kamala can’t win” to questioning, “Do you think Kamala can win?” Biden’s recent campaign stops have been highlighted by his team to showcase his energy as the presumptive Democratic nominee. The Wednesday event in Las Vegas, where he was scheduled to address the UnidosUS annual conference, was intended to demonstrate his direct engagement with a diverse coalition. However, the event was abruptly halted when news broke of Biden’s positive Covid-19 test following a busy day of interviews and meeting voters at a local supermarket.
“I was just on the phone with President Biden. And he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for Covid,” UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía announced to attendees, eliciting audible gasps. The source of Biden’s infection remains unclear, but his diagnosis will confine him to isolation at a critical time when Democratic lawmakers are eager for his visible presence. The CDC advises staying home until the infected person has been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and symptoms improving for the same period. Mask-wearing is recommended for five days post-isolation.
A White House official told CNN that Biden will likely manage his schedule through video calls, similar to his approach during his previous Covid-19 infection. A campaign source confirmed to CNN that Biden’s campaign will adjust to conduct as much as possible remotely. Biden was also in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, last weekend, making calls to key lawmakers, some of whom have expressed concerns about his viability as a candidate. Following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, public calls for Biden to step aside paused but have since resurfaced. Just hours before Biden’s Covid-19 diagnosis, California Rep. Adam Schiff called on Biden to drop out of the race.
As Trump prepares to accept the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Democratic concerns persist about Biden’s ability to defeat him and the potential down-ballot impacts. Despite rising anxiety within the Democratic Party after Biden’s recent debate performance in Atlanta, multiple officials indicated a shift in the White House and Biden campaign’s stance. “The private conversations with the Hill are continuing,” a senior Democratic adviser told CNN anonymously. “He’s being receptive. Not as defiant as he is publicly.” “He’s gone from saying, ‘Kamala can’t win,’ to ‘Do you think Kamala can win?’” the adviser added. “It’s still unclear where he’s going to land but seems to be listening.”
Vice President Kamala Harris is set to continue her campaign appearance in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as planned, according to an administration staffer. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month, though Harris tested negative. Biden, seen maskless before boarding Air Force One, wore a mask in the car and on the aircraft to Delaware, a White House official stated. Biden’s physician reported that the president exhibited “upper respiratory symptoms, including rhinorrhea and a non-productive cough, with general malaise.”
Biden’s first Covid-19 diagnosis was in July 2022, followed by a rebound case. He has received multiple booster shots, the latest in September 2023. His first bout with Covid-19 included mild symptoms and was treated with Paxlovid. Covid-19 cases have risen recently, with a 23.5% increase in emergency visits for the virus in the week ending July 6, according to CDC data. The level of viral activity in wastewater is also high nationally as of July 6.
