President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 in Las Vegas on Wednesday, cutting short a campaign trip to Sin City as he returned to his home in Delaware. The news came one day after Biden said he would consider dropping out of the presidential election race if he was diagnosed with a “medical condition” by doctors, perhaps an indication he may be reconsidering his pledge to run for a second term. “The 81-year-old president made the remark in a BET interview taped Tuesday when asked what it would take to prompt him to reconsider his candidacy,” reports the New York Post, which adds Biden ‘glad-handed’ some people after testing positive. Wednesday evening, the White House acknowledged Biden’s COVID-19 diagnosis. “Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “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. 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.” “Given this, the President will be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals. PCR confirmation testing will be pending.” Biden is facing an ever-growing number of prominent House Democrats (21 as of Thursday) calling on him to drop out of the presidential race, including Rep. Adam Shiff (D-CA 30th district) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 11th district). Both are considered as Democrat ‘royalty.’ CNN reported Thursday morning Pelosi privately told Biden polls show the president cannot defeat Donald Trump and “Biden could destroy Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November if he continues seeking a second term, according to four sources briefed on the call.” It’s reported by CNN Biden told Pelosi he has seen polls indicating he can win and that he was very defensive about the polls. “Pelosi has spent the weeks following the (June 27) debate listening to concerns from her colleagues,” reports CNN. “Pelosi made waves when she said in an interview last week: ‘It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.’” In the interview with BET released on Wednesday, Biden said he would consider leaving the race, “if I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem,” reports the Post. Biden told BET he “feels a need to run again." “I said I was going to be a transitional candidate, and I thought I would be able to move on from this and pass it on to somebody else,” he said. “But I didn’t anticipate things getting so, so, so divided. And quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom.”
