Right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk has posted a rumor that President Joe Biden had a medical emergency in Las Vegas last week and may be in hospice care. This claim contradicted the official account of the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis, and has sparked widespread speculation, but what are the facts?
Kirk, who has a history of promoting questionable theories, shared the rumor Monday on X, formerly Twitter. He wrote: “Got a weird lead on a story that people should look into. I got a call from a source close to Las Vegas Metro. The official story was that Joe Biden’s trip was cut short last week due to COVID.
“However, according to this source, US Secret Service informed LV Metro that there was an emergency situation involving Joe Biden and to close necessary streets so that POTUS could be transported immediately to University Medical.
“Then, mysteriously, there was a stand down order and the USSS informed local Vegas PD that they were going to ‘medevac’ POTUS to Johns Hopkins. Apparently the rumor mill in the police department was that Joe Biden was dying or possibly already dead.”
The post had been viewed 21.5 million times by Tuesday.
Kirk has previously promoted questionable theories related to right-wing talking points including expressing skepticism about Black pilots’ ability to fly planes due to diversity hiring practices, and in a now deleted 2018 post on X, dramatically overstating the number of human trafficking arrests made under the Trump administration versus the Obama administration, citing bogus “Department of Justice” data originating from QAnon message board 8Chan.
President Joe Biden arrives in Delaware on Air Force One after being diagnosed with COVID-19, July 18 2024. Disreputable right-wing social media accounts have baselessly speculated it may be a cover-up for a more serious…
President Joe Biden arrives in Delaware on Air Force One after being diagnosed with COVID-19, July 18 2024. Disreputable right-wing social media accounts have baselessly speculated it may be a cover-up for a more serious medical event.
More
Manuel Balce Ceneta/ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Twitter account named Global Press Corp also promoted the hospice theory, claiming, “A verified [anonymous] source has informed the Global Press team that Joe Biden is currently in hospice care and is unlikely to survive the night.”
The post did not provide any corroborating sources or evidence, and many of the top replies in the comments called Global Press a “trash account,” and said the report is “100% false.”
The post had been viewed 14.9 million times by Tuesday.
Newsweek has contacted the White House and Charlie Kirk for comment.
Despite these rumors, official reports provide a different story. The White House said that Biden was diagnosed with COVID-19 last Wednesday during his visit to Las Vegas.
Biden was also videoed telling reporters he felt good before walking unaided up the steps to Air Force One in Las Vegas to fly back to his beach house in Delaware to isolate and begin his recovery.
And he was videoed again walking slowly down the steps after arriving in Delaware.
After facing weeks of growing political pressure, he announced on Sunday that he would not seek reelection in November and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. He participated via phone in Harris’ news conference Monday, and the White House states he is returning to work Tuesday.
In an official report released on Monday, Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, stated, “President Biden completed his tenth dose of Paxlovid this morning. His symptoms have almost resolved completely.
“His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature remain absolutely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear. The President continues to perform all of his presidential duties.”
The White House has not provided any indication that Biden’s condition is more serious than reported. As of now, the claims remain unsubstantiated rumors without credible evidence.
In his post, Kirk added: “I didn’t think too much about this lead, seemed too wild to be true” and appealed for more information in an attempt to substantiate the unsavory rumor. “I want to hear if there is more to the official story than what they’re telling us,” he added.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Source link : https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-hospice-1928929
Author :
Publish date : 2024-07-23 08:17:50
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.