Joe Biden will return to campaigning next week after self-isolating with Covid, his team has said.
The 81-year-old President had been forced into withdrawing from a speech at the last minute two days ago after testing positive for the illness.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said that despite the President being “vaccinated and boosted”, he was suffering from “mild symptoms” – and had returned to home state Delaware to recover.
But now, campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon has confirmed that the Commander-in-Chief will hit the campaign trail once again this week.
The news comes after Kamala Harris sent speculation flying on social mediaReutersShe told US outlet MSNBC: “He is absolutely in it… While Biden takes concerns from some Democrats seriously, he is committed to fighting to win a second term.”
The news follows a spike in speculation over just who the Democratic nominee could be for November’s election showdown against Donald Trump.
Rumours started swirling on social media that Vice President Kamala Harris could be eyeing up an unlikely run for Democratic candidacy in the wake of the President’s ill health – with exactly one month remaining until the Democratic National Convention (DNC) gets underway.
Harris had made a number of campaign-worthy posts on social media using “I”, not “We”, which raised eyebrows over just why the VP might be switching to singular pronouns.
LATEST IN THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 2024
US President Joe Biden
Getty
Though Harris has been slammed as unpopular among the American public, Democratic delegates and activists have considered lending her support.
Nico Brancolini, a vice president of the Stonewall Democratic Club, said: “Kamala isn’t the strongest overall – but logistically it’d be the cleanest… But imagine the fury if a sitting Vice President who is a black woman were passed over for any of the other candidates.”
Meanwhile, Harris said DonaldTrump’s call for unity would have little credibility, given his persistent refusal to acknowledge his 2020 election defeat.
She told a campaign rally in North Carolina: “We’re too busy watching what you’re doing to hear what you’re saying,” she said at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina.”
Mark Zuckerberg has declined to endorse either candidate
Getty
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has declined to endorse either Donald Trump or Joe Biden and said he does not plan to be involved in the upcoming US presidential election in any way.
Zuckerberg’s comments come as several influential figures in Silicon Valley, including Tesla boss Elon Musk and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, back Trump for president.
The billionaire tech executive said former President Trump’s immediate reaction after being shot was “badass” and inspiring, and helps explain his appeal to voters.