Biden tests positive for Covid, cancels speech in Las Vegas

President

Joe
Biden
tested
positive
for
Covid-19
on
Wednesday,
the
White
House
said.

The
president,
who
was
delivering
speeches
in
Las
Vegas,
“is
experiencing
mild
symptoms,”
White
House
press
secretary
Karine
Jean-Pierre
said
in
a
statement.

Biden
“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.

Biden
is
vaccinated
and
boosted,
she
noted.

“The
White
House
will
provide
regular
updates
on
the
President’s
status
as
he
continues
to
carry
out
the
full
duties
of
the
office
while
in
isolation,”
she
said.

Biden
boarded
Air
Force
One
in
Las
Vegas
around
6:30
p.m.
ET,
the
White
House
pool
reported.
The
president
was
not
wearing
a
mask
as
he
boarded
the
plane.

“Good,
I
feel
good,”
Biden
told
reporters
in
response
to
shouted
questions
on
the
airport
tarmac.

Biden’s
doctor
said
that
the
president
came
down
with
a
runny
nose
and
a
“non-productive
cough”
on
Wednesday
afternoon.

“He
felt
okay
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
for
the
COVID-19
virus,”
the
physician
said
in
a
statement
shared
by
the
White
House.

Biden’s
symptoms
“remain
mild,”
with
a
normal
temperature
and
respiratory
rate
and
a
97%
pulse
oximetry
reading,
according
to
the
doctor.

“The
President
has
received
his
first
dose
of
Paxlovid,”
the
physician
said.
“He
will
be
self-isolating
at
his
home
in
Rehoboth.”

The
Biden
campaign
referred
CNBC
to
the
White
House
when
asked
for
comment.

Biden
was
scheduled
to
deliver
remarks
Wednesday
afternoon
at
the
UnidosUS
Annual
Conference
in
Las
Vegas,
after
an
interview
with
Univision
at
the
Original
Lindo
Michoácan
Restaurant.

Photos
show
Biden
shaking
hands
with
patrons
at
that
restaurant.

But
Biden
did
not
show
up
to
the
conference
at
his
scheduled
speaking
time
of
4:30
p.m.
ET.

After
6
p.m.
ET,
UnidosUS
President
Janet
Murguia
announced
to
the
crowd
that
Biden
had
tested
positive
for
the
virus.

“Regrettably,
I
was
just
on
the
phone
with
President
Biden,
and
he
shared
his
deep
disappointment
at
not
being
able
to
join
us
this
afternoon,”
she
said.
“The
president
has
been
at
many
events,
as
we
all
know,
and
he
just
tested
positive
for
Covid.”

“He
said
to
tell
my
folks
that
we’re
not
going
to
get
rid
of
him
that
quickly,”
she
added.
“He’s
just
really
sorry
he
couldn’t
be
with
us.”

The
illness
comes
as
Biden,
81,
has
come
under
mounting
pressure
from
his
fellow
Democrats
to
withdraw
from
the
presidential
race
against
Republican
nominee

Donald
Trump.

A
growing
number
of
Democratic
lawmakers,
along
with
top
donors
and
other
allies,
have
urged
Biden
to
step
aside
after
his
disastrous
debate
performance
stoked
panic
about
his
fitness
to
campaign.

Biden
has
repeatedly
rejected
those
calls
and
defended
his
physical
and
mental
health.

But
in
an
interview
with
BET
on
Tuesday,
Biden
said
that
he

might
reconsider
his
decision
to
stay
in
the
race
if
a
“medical
condition”
emerged.

Biden

previously
tested
positive
for
Covid
in
July
2022.

The
Biden
campaign
quickly
tried
to
turn
his
latest
bout
of
the
virus
into
a
fundraising
opportunity
—
and
a
dig
at
Tesla
and
SpaceX
CEO

Elon
Musk,
who
has
reportedly
pledged
to

donate
heavily
to
a
pro-Trump
super
PAC.

Biden’s
personal
X
account
on
Wednesday
evening
shared
a
thread
beginning
with
a
two-word
post:
“I’m
sick.”

But
the
next
post
read,
“of
Elon
Musk
and
his
rich
buddies
trying
to
buy
this
election.”
That
post
included
a
link
to
the
Biden
campaign’s
fundraising
page.