Joe Biden gives thumbs up & says he’s well as he’s seen for 1st time since dropping out & after negative Covid test
PRESIDENT Joe Biden has been pictured in public for the first time since ending his reelection bid as he prepares to return to the White House.
Biden, who had been out of the public view since his Covid-19 diagnosis on July 17, gave reporters a thumbs up before entering Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, on Tuesday afternoon.
The president, 81, tested negative for Covid-19 and left isolation in Delaware six days after his positive diagnosis on July 17.
The White House physician updated the American public on Biden's health on Tuesday, revealing the president's "symptoms have resolved."
As Biden hopped out of an unmarked black SUV, reporters pressed him with questions about his health, to which he replied he was "feeling well."
Biden slowly walked up the steps of Air Force One and gave a thumbs up and a salute before entering the aircraft.
The president is expected to make the trip back to Washington DC and return for duty at the White House.
The sighting marked the first time Biden was seen in public since he formally handed over the mantle to Kamala Harris on Sunday when he endorsed her for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Biden was forced to pull out of a campaign event in Las Vegas on July 17 and flown to Delaware after testing positive for Covid.
The commander-in-chief was motorcaded to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, where he has been since.
The White House physician said Biden never developed a fever, and his vital signs and lungs remained normal.
President Biden is expected to address the nation on Wednesday evening about his decision to abandon his 2024 campaign.
The name has changed at the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn't changed at all.
Joe Biden
He made a surprise call to Harris' campaign event in Delaware on Monday, marking his first comments since dropping out of the race.
Biden reassured his former campaign staff that he plans to complete his term as president after his shocking decision on Sunday blindsided White House officials.
"I'm not going anywhere," Biden told campaign staffers, who have shifted their focus on Harris' crusade.
"I know yesterday's news was surprising and hard for you to hear, but it was the right thing to do.
"I know it's hard because you poured your heart and soul into me to help us win this thing."
Biden praised his vice president and urged his staffers to rally behind her campaign.
"The name has changed at the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn't changed at all," Biden added.
"And by the way, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be out there on the campaign with her, with Kamala.
"I'm going to be working like hell, both as a sitting president getting legislation passed as well as campaigning.
"You know, we still need to save this democracy, and Trump is still a danger to the community. He's a danger to the nation."
What happens next as Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 race?
President Biden has finally heeded calls to drop his bid for re-election, throwing the 2024 election into chaos. He has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris but naming a new Democratic nominee won't be a simple process. Here's what's next after Biden's stunning announcement.
Biden secured nearly 4,000 delegates by winning state caucuses and primaries earlier this year. He was set to officially be named the Democratic nominee at a virtual vote ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which begins on August 19.
Democratic party rules don't allow Biden to simply pass his 3,896 delegates to Harris or another candidate.
Harris will now have to convince those nearly 4,000 delegates and 700 superdelegates to support her and name her nominee.
However, delegates are free agents who can choose to support whichever candidate they want - likely without input from voters at this stage since primaries and caucuses were already held.
All eyes are now on the previously planned virtual vote - where the Democratic party could choose a nominee before the DNC begins.
Biden's endorsement of Harris will likely sway delegates and no one has publicly challenged her as a candidate - but delegates are not required to back her. Even if the virtual vote isn't held, the party could still choose Harris or another candidate before the convention.
If Democrats don't name their nominee before the DNC, it'll be the first open and contested convention since 1968.
KAMALA HITS THE TRAIL
In the days since being endorsed as the Democratic presidential candidate by Biden, Kamala Harris secured the necessary delegates to win the party's nomination.
As of Monday evening, Harris reportedly had the support of at least 2,668 delegates - way more than the minimum of 1,976 required to win on a first ballot.
The Harris campaign has also raised more than $50 million in donations.
The Democratic presidential candidate, 59, delivered a fiery speech at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington on Monday.
Harris lashed out at former President Donald Trump and compared him to the "predators, fraudsters, and cheaters" she had prosecuted during her time as attorney general in California.
Democrats have slowly united behind Harris' presidential campaign.
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries joined the growing list of party members who have endorsed Harris.
Several of Harris' potential rivals, including governors Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer, have endorsed the vice president.
"When I announced my campaign for President, I said I intended to go out and earn this nomination," Harris said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party's nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state's delegation helped put our campaign over the top, I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon."
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Full list of Democrats who have endorsed Kamala Harris
- President Joe Biden
- Gov. Roy Cooper, North Carolina
- Gov. Gavin Newsom, California
- Gov. John Carney, Delaware
- Gov. Josh Green, Hawaii
- Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York
- Gov. Jay Inslee, Washington
- Gov. Janet Mills, Maine
- Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey
- Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado
- Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York
- Sen. Chris Murphy, Connecticut
- Sen. Mark Warner, Virginia
- Sen. Raphael Warnock, Georgia
- Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
- Sen. Michael Bennet, Colorado
- Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio
- Sen. Laphonza Butler, California
- Sen. Maria Cantwell, Washington
- Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland
- Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania
- Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware
- Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada
- Sen. Martin Heinrich, New Mexico
- Sen. John Hickenlooper, Colorado
- Sen. Mazie Hirono, Hawaii
- Sen. Tim Kaine, Virginia
- Sen. Mark Kelly, Arizona
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota
- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, New Mexico
- Sen. Ed Markey, Massachusetts
- Sen. Patty Murray, Washington
- Sen. Jon Ossoff, Georgia
- Sen. Alex Padilla, California
- Sen. Gary Peters, Michigan
- Sen. Jacky Rosen, Nevada
- Sen. Brian Schatz, Hawaii
- Sen. Tina Smith, Minnesota
- Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Michigan
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island
- Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon
- Rep. Steny Hoyer, Maryland
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi, California
- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey
- Rep. Elissa Slotkin, Michigan
- Rep. Colin Allred, Texas
- Rep. Gabe Amo, Rhode Island
- Rep. Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts
- Rep. Becca Balint, Vermont
- Rep. Nanette Barragan, California
- Rep. Joyce Beatty, Ohio
- Rep. Ami Bera, California
- Rep. Don Beyer, Virginia
- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon
- Rep. Jamaal Bowman, New York
- Rep. Brendan Boyle, Pennsylvania
- Rep. Shontel Brown, Ohio
- Rep. Julia Brownley, California
- Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Illinois
- Rep. Cori Bush, Missouri
- Rep. Yadira Caraveo, Colorado
- Rep. Salud Carbajal, California
- Rep. Andre Carson, Indiana
- Rep. Troy Carter, Louisiana
- Rep. Greg Casar, Texas
- Rep. Sean Casten, Illinois
- Rep. Kathy Castor, Florida
- Rep. Joaquin Castro, Texas
- Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Florida
- Rep. Judy Chu, California
- Rep. Yvette Clarke, New York
- Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina
- Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee
- Rep. Gerry Connolly, Virginia
- Rep. Joe Courtney, Connecticut
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Texas
- Rep. Jason Crow, Colorado
- Rep. Danny Davis, Illinois
- Rep. Madeleine Dean, Pennsylvania
- Rep. Diana DeGette, Colorado
- Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut
- Rep. Debbie Dingell, Michigan
- Rep. Veronica Escobar, Texas
- Rep. Dwight Evans, Pennsylvania
- Rep. Teresa Fernandez, New Mexico
- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, Texas
- Rep. Bill Foster, Illinois
- Rep. Lois Frankel, Florida
- Rep. Maxwell Frost, Florida
- Rep. Ruben Gallego, Arizona
- Rep. John Garamendi, California
- Rep. Mike Garcia, California
- Rep. Sylvia Garcia, Texas
- Rep. Jesus Garcia, Illinois
- Rep. Daniel Goldman, New York
- Rep. Jimmy Gomez, California
- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey
- Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Arizona
- Rep. Jahana Hayes, Connecticut
- Rep. Steven Horsford, Nevada
- Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, Pennsylvania
- Rep. Val Hoyle, Oregon
- Rep. Jared Huffman, California
- Rep. Glenn Ivey, Maryland
- Rep. Jeff Jackson, North Carolina
- Rep. Jonathan Jackson, Illinois
- Rep. Sara Jacobs, California
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Washington
- Rep. Hank Johnson, Georgia
- Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, California
- Rep. Bill Keating, Massachusetts
- Rep. Robin Kelly, Illinois
- Rep. Ro Khanna, California
- Rep. Dan Kildee, Michigan
- Rep. Andy Kim, New Jersey
- Rep. Greg Landsman, Ohio
- Rep. Rick Larsen, Washington
- Rep. Barbara Lee, California
- Rep. Summer Lee, Pennsylvania
- Rep. Susie Lee, Nevada
- Rep. Mike Levin, California
- Rep. Ted Lieu, California
- Rep. Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island
- Rep. Kathy Manning, North Carolina
- Rep. Lucy McBath, Georgia
- Rep. Jennifer McClellan, Virginia
- Rep. Betty McCollum, Minnesota
- Rep. Morgan McGarvey, Kentucky
- Rep. Jim McGovern, Massachusetts
- Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, New Hampshire
- Rep. Gregory Meeks, New York
- Rep. Rob Menendez, New Jersey
- Rep. Grace Meng, New York
- Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Maryland
- Rep. Gwen Moore, Wisconsin
- Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Florida
- Rep. Seth Moulton, Massachusetts
- Rep. Kevin Mullin, California
- Rep. Jerry Nadler, New York
- Rep. Joe Neguse, Colorado
- Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota
- Rep. Frank Pallone, New Jersey
- Rep. Chris Pappas, New Hampshire
- Rep. Bill Pascrell, New Jersey
- Rep. Brittany Pettersen, Colorado
- Rep. Mark Pocan, Wisconsin
- Rep. Katie Porter, California
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts
- Rep. Mike Quigley, Illinois
- Rep. Delia Ramirez, Illinois
- Rep. Jamie Raskin, Maryland
- Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware
- Rep. Deborah Ross, North Carolina
- Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, Maryland
- Rep. Andrea Salinas, Oregon
- Rep. Linda Sanchez, California
- Rep. John Sarbanes, Maryland
- Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania
- Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Illinois
- Rep. Adam Schiff, California
- Rep. Brad Schneider, Illinois
- Rep. Hillary Scholten, Michigan
- Rep. Bobby Scott, Virginia
- Rep. Terri Sewell, Alabama
- Rep. Brad Sherman, California
- Rep. Adam Smith, Washington
- Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia
- Rep. Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico
- Rep. Greg Stanton, Arizona
- Rep. Haley Stevens, Michigan
- Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Washington
- Rep. Eric Swalwell, California
- Rep. Emilia Sykes, Ohio
- Rep. Mark Takano, California
- Rep. Shri Thanedar, Michigan
- Rep. Terry Thompson, Missouri
- Rep. Dina Titus, Nevada
- Rep. Jill Tokuda, Hawaii
- Rep. Paul Tonko, New York
- Rep. Norma Torres, California
- Rep. Ritchie Torres, New York
- Rep. Lori Trahan, Massachusetts
- Rep. David Trone, Maryland
- Rep. Lauren Underwood, Illinois
- Rep. Gabe Vasquez, New Mexico
- Rep. Marc Veasey, Texas
- Rep. Nydia Velazquez, New York
- Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida
- Rep. Maxine Waters, California
- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey
- Rep. Jennifer Wexton, Virginia
- Rep. Susan Wild, Pennsylvania
- Rep. Nikema Williams, Georgia
- Rep. Frederica Wilson, Florida
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