As noted in today’s Morning Jolt, I remain a skeptic that Joe Biden will ever voluntarily relinquish the 2024 Democratic nomination and the chance for a second term.
But I will note that Biden’s last public appearance was a radio interview Wednesday afternoon. Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, reported yesterday that Biden is experiencing mild upper respiratory symptoms, does not have a fever, and his vitals remain normal.
That doesn’t sound too bad, even for an 81-year-old man.
Note that during Biden’s last bout with Covid, he conducted business through Zoom and FaceTime, and even delivered a short speech from the balcony of the Blue Room, informing the American people of the killing of Ayman al-Zawahri, the top al-Qaeda leader.
The longer we don’t see Biden, the more I’ll start to wonder if the president really is discussing “what an exit from his campaign might look like” with his family — the same family that is, according to all available reporting, vehemently opposed to Biden quitting the race.
Also the longer we don’t see Biden, the more people will wonder if, even with “mild upper respiratory symptoms,” he’s just in no shape to appear before the cameras.