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Joe Biden’s COVID Diagnosis Casts A Long Shadow On Presidential Race Prospect
US President Joe Biden’s prospects for staying in the 2024 presidential race took a nosedive after his COVID-19 diagnosis.
Eko Hot Blog reports that, despite Biden’s repeated assertions that he intends to stay on as the presumptive Democratic nominee, there were signs on Wednesday that pressure on him was intensifying and his stance on stepping aside may have shifted.
Biden faced mounting pressure to step aside and clear the path for a new Democratic nominee following criticism of his performance in the June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump.
Polymarket, a predictive betting site, saw the odds of “Biden dropping out of the presidential race” surge to 69 percent shortly after the White House announced his positive COVID-19 test at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden flips through his notes during the presidential debate in Atlanta. He was diagnosed with COVID on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 Austin Steele/CNN
“Biden just tested positive for COVID. Earlier today he said he’d consider dropping out if he had a ‘medical condition.’ Odds he drops out shot up to 66%,” Polymarket posted immediately after the diagnosis.
Earlier that day, odds had already jumped from 33 percent to 50 percent after Biden hinted in an interview with BET News that he might consider withdrawing due to a “medical condition.”
Reports surfaced that Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had advised Biden to exit the race during a meeting on Saturday.
In response, White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe that Biden had reaffirmed to both leaders that “he is the nominee of the party” and “plans to win.”
Representative Adam Schiff also joined other Democratic lawmakers in publicly calling for Biden’s withdrawal, stating in a release that “it is time for him to pass the torch.”
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