US Election 2024 - Joe Biden must go into quarantine due to Corona-illness
It doesn't look good for Joe Biden. The US President is facing new demands to withdraw from the race for a second term in office. At the same time, his health is causing concerns. After testing positive for Coronavirus, the 81-year-old had to cancel a campaign trip to Nevada on a Wednesday. The Democrat retreated to his private home in Rehoboth, Delaware, with mild symptoms.
The debate over Biden's candidacy was briefly pushed into the background after the attack on the Republican Donald Trump during a campaign appearance over the weekend. Now it's back.
Biden refuses to drop out of the presidential race
Several other Democratic colleagues, including prominent House Representative Adam Schiff, have called on Biden to step down. Top Democrats in the US Congress, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, warned him in the past week based on media reports.
Biden has so far rejected all withdrawal demands and made it clear that he has no plans to drop out.
The Democrat is under heavy pressure from his own ranks due to his advanced age and doubts about his mental fitness. Since a disastrous performance in a television debate against his opponent Trump, several Democratic representatives have called for him to withdraw from the race in the past few weeks. Many others have publicly expressed serious concerns about his electoral chances.
Prominent withdrawal calls
Schiff, who is running for a Senate seat, stated that he has serious concerns about whether Biden can defeat the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in November. Biden has had great achievements, but it's time to clear the way for someone else. "There's just too much at stake," he urged.
Schiff is a confidant of the former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Both represent their districts in the most populous state of California. Pelosi still wields significant influence in the party. The powerful Democrat recently said in an interview, "It's up to the President to decide whether he runs." She added, "We all encourage him to make this decision. Time is running out." Her explicit refusal to endorse Biden made headlines.
Reports: Top Democrats in Congress warned Joe Biden
Even at the highest level, Biden's stubbornness seems to be causing concern. Both Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, and Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, held separate talks with Biden last week and warned him that his continued campaigning could lead to the Democrats losing control of both congressional chambers.
The "Washington Post" and ABC News reported this based on anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Schumer's office responded to the reports on a Wednesday by stating that the Senator had conveyed the views of his faction to Biden. As long as the source is not Schumer or Biden, reporting falls into the realm of speculation.
Next to the Presidential office, many seats in the Parliament will be re-elected in November. The entire House of Representatives is up for re-election, while one third of the seats in the Senate are. The Democrats are concerned that the Republicans could control both chambers in Congress and the White House after the election. Many parliamentarians are worried that the lack of support for Biden could cost them their re-election.
Positive Coronatest and Campaign Interruption
Biden, who intends to be confirmed in office after the November election, was in Las Vegas on a Wednesday to primarily campaign among the Hispanic population. He first made a stop at a Mexican restaurant to connect with voters. He then planned to attend a conference of an important civil rights organization that represents the interests of the Hispanic population. However, this did not come to pass. Another appointment also had to be canceled.
The president of the organization UnidosUS, Janet Murguía, shared that Biden had called her and informed her that he could not come. Shortly thereafter, the White House confirmed that Biden had tested positive for the virus after the first event. A confirmation of the test result from a PCR test was still pending, it was said. Biden reported respiratory symptoms, a running nose, and coughing. He had received his first dose of the Covid-medicament Paxlovid.
Previous Positive Test in Joe Biden
Biden was last tested positive for the virus two summers ago. He was also treated with the medicine Paxlovid and had only a few days after the end of his Corona isolation been tested positive on the Coronavirus again. This was described at the time as a "rebound," which in rare cases occurs in patients treated with Paxlovid. Biden, according to White House statements, had a mild course of the disease. Biden belongs to the risk group due to his advanced age.
Nevada is called a Swing State, which cannot be definitively assigned to either Democrats or Republicans. Swing States are politically fiercely contested, which is why the campaigns of the presidential candidates or candidates for the presidency often focus on these federal states.
Despite the ongoing debate over his candidacy due to health concerns and doubts about his mental fitness, Joe Biden has refused to drop out of the presidential race. Following his positive coronavirus test, prominent Democrats such as House Representative Adam Schiff and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have urged Biden to reconsider his decision, citing concerns over the potential impact on the party's electoral chances. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has faced his own challenges after a campaign appearance attack over the weekend, momentarily shifting the focus away from Biden.
