President Biden has said none of his doctors have told him he has a serious medical condition. But his debate performance last month raised questions about his health and acuity.

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President Biden said in an interview released on Wednesday that he would re-evaluate whether to stay in the presidential race if a doctor told him directly that he had a medical condition that made that necessary.

Mr. Biden has said repeatedly that none of his doctors have told him he has a serious medical condition. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, wrote after the president’s physical in February that Mr. Biden is “a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”

But his disastrous performance at a debate with former President Donald J. Trump last month, which prompted a wave of calls by Democratic allies to step aside, raised questions about his health and acuity.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21612·
    4 months ago

    This sounds very much like him setting up a scenario where he can step down without losing face. God, I hope.

    • Doom@ttrpg.network
      486·
      4 months ago

      Would be best case scenario would show maturity and unity for the party.

      This thread pulling bullshit everywhere else is so fuckin fake

    • ceenote@lemmy.world
      406·
      4 months ago

      Much better than the earlier requirement of God himself descending from the heavens to tell him to drop out. After which he’d only consider it.

      • Zaktor@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        82·
        4 months ago

        Now the Almighty can work in subtler ways like it usually does.

    • FPSkra@lemmy.world
      331·
      4 months ago

      He started with only God Almighty could make him step down…moved to if polls said there was no path to victory…now we are here…it feels like he’s warming up to the idea.

      • timestatic@feddit.org
        161·
        4 months ago

        Hopefully they can decide swiftly on the democrat convention and Biden can rally the Democrat party united behind one younger more energetic candidate fit to lead the country

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
          11·
          4 months ago

          Party leaders and mega donors seem to have coalesced around Harris. So if it happens it’ll be quick. I sincerely hope he’s actually healthy and this is a managed exit.

          • Rutty
            21·
            4 months ago

            I sure hope not. Harris is a sure fire way to a Trump presidency.

            How about Mark Kelly?

            • Maggoty@lemmy.world
              4·
              4 months ago

              Mark Kelly isn’t well known outside Arizona. And I dunno about Harris being a loser here. The biggest complaint about Biden is his age. And she solves that.

                • Maggoty@lemmy.world
                  2·
                  18 days ago

                  I’m impressed you came this far back. We work with what we know when we know it. In hindsight she ran a shit campaign that tried to tell her base they were wrong and get Republicans to switch sides. Shockingly, neither of those are winning strategies.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.worldEnglish
        42·
        4 months ago

        God works in mysterious ways. Well, I guess it’s not that mysterious that an 84 year old man who attends a lot of public events got COVID.

        • FPSkra@lemmy.world
          3·
          4 months ago

          What’s the over under on it turning into long COVID which gives him a graceful out.

    • casmael@lemm.ee
      186·
      4 months ago

      Honest question: is that like…. actually a good idea? Probably? What if they decide to replace him with Harris that sounds worse idk

      • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
        236·
        4 months ago

        Infighting to replace him is a terrible idea.

        Him just retiring in favor of Harris or whoever? Better. Still absolutely horseshit considering no one seriously put their hat in the ring for the convention but whatever gets a president that supports universal healthcare and isn’t sunsetting.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        185·
        4 months ago

        It’s probably the less bad option at this point, let’s put it that way. Harris is not great, but she lacks much of the baggage and hasn’t lost the confidence of the party.

        • JimmyBigSausage@lemm.ee
          76·
          4 months ago

          I could be pumped for Harris with the right running mate. Who shall it be? Don’t say Bernie.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
            192·
            4 months ago

            Don’t know that I could be pumped for Harris unless she pulls off some kind of “Crouching Empty Suit, Hidden Visionary” shit, but I could be pumped for her VP. Unfortunately, I suspect she’ll choose a ‘moderate’ old white Dem guy as her VP to ‘balance out’ that she’s an ethnic minority and a woman.

            • Kitty Jynx@lemmy.world
              31·
              4 months ago

              Harris/Duckworth would be great. Tammy Duckworth is a combat wounded vet and seems to be pretty good as far as centrist dems go.

              • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
                42·
                4 months ago

                I’d love to see a Harris/AOC pairing … if only to watch all the rich old white people in leadership have massive shit fits.

                That’s just a dream at this point tho.

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            7·
            4 months ago

            I have two tracks for pumpedness:

            1. Political: Someone with progressive ideas in the White House to represent that portion of the party. Probably not going to happen.
            2. Capability: Someone who feels like a particularly competent messenger with some fight in them. It would be nice to have some Democrats who can competently and accurately tear up this whole fiasco of a political movement. This could happen.
    • spujb@lemmy.cafeEnglish
      93·
      4 months ago

      please please please (x5) (refrain) please please, yes please, (return to chorus) (bridge) please sir please (return to chorus x2)

    • Blaine@lemmy.ml
      355·
      4 months ago

      Not relevant. Trump voters don’t care about reality, while the rest of us do. If the Democrats want to be the party of sane, responsible voters they’ll need to put up a sane, responsible candidate.

      Be better than Republicans.

    • 🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldEnglish
      151·
      4 months ago

      Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, wrote after the president’s physical in February that Mr. Biden is “a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”

      I mean, I definitely think he should step down, and the white house physician also said Trump was 6’2 200 lbs so…

      • Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee
        91·
        4 months ago

        White House physicians are basically captured medical professionals - they get INSANE access to not just the office, but a lot of the entourage and hangers-on. Yeah you can say no, but it’s a very competitive and prestigious posting that has no shortage of applicants.

        O’Connor came back after being Biden’s VP doctor, and has… conflicting interests when it comes to giving medical advice that might make his role redundant

    • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
      2030·
      4 months ago

      “Well Doc? What’s the verdict?”

      “Are you serious? We just talked about this. Do you not remember?”

      “Oh… I… I… yeah, I totally remember that… and those things were…”

      “Well, first of all, there’s the apparent memory loss. Then, as we just discussed, there’s the obvious dementia, as well.”

      “What? Dementia? I’m sharp as a rock, doc. Where did you get that? Show me my chart!”

      “Dude, for the last time, there is no chart. I’m not a doctor. This is a Denny’s!”

      “H-h-whut?”

      “And most people drink coffee out of those mugs, not the complementary maple syrup.”

      Update: Wow, a lot of people butthurt on the joke about the mental acuity of an 81 year old! Chillax people. I’d vote for a dead dog if it stood a chance against Trump. Doesn’t mean we take it to Westminister and demand a blue ribbon for how obviously healthy, active and beautiful the dog corpse is. Let’s acknowledge the absurdity of the reality we are in, please.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        132·
        4 months ago

        “And most people drink coffee out of those mugs, not the complementary maple syrup.”

        He must be a new waiter at Denny’s.

        • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
          74·
          4 months ago

          Nah. Drinking it from the mug is too classy for the average Denny’s clientele. Most drink it straight from the jug. And not waterfall into their mouth style. Mouth on spout style. Enjoy your breakfast.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
            52·
            4 months ago

            3 AM Denny’s is where it’s at, man. Eat fries and pancakes while watching the only other people in the restaurant play musical plates with their food.

  • crusa187@lemmy.ml
    292·
    4 months ago

    Ok!! This works. Take the test, announce the condition, and step down so we can stop stealing time from whoever the actual nominee is. Let’s gooo!

    • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemm.eeEnglish
      610·
      4 months ago

      You will vote for bed ridden Joe biden in a oxygen mask, and you will clap. If the clapping is not enthusiastic enough you will be ostracized from society.

  • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
    314·
    4 months ago

    Being geriatric is a medical condition.

    I hate that the choices in the next election mean I have to vote for him.

    • cheese_greater@lemmy.world
      143·
      4 months ago

      There need to be age-limits in place so never again

      Trump/Biden candidacies could have been entirely constitutionally gated against and we wouldn’t even be here. Probably same for Regan

    • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemm.eeEnglish
      31·
      4 months ago

      Did you know there are alternative voting systems in which a spoiler effect doesn’t exist? You should start demanding Ranked Choice voting from your state representatives.

      More democracy, Introduce competition into the electoral process, improve the quality of candidates across the political spectrum, and we could have more chances at defeating the Republicans. A complete win for the people.

      • TechAnon@lemm.ee
        1·
        4 months ago

        I agree with you that ranked choice voting is he answer, but we have to deal with what we have today. I see one party being a much easier path in progressing to ranked choice voting vs another so it’s a pretty easy vote on my behalf (among many, many other reasons) this time around.

  • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    183·
    4 months ago

    You ever see someone at Biden’s age fall down? A great aunt of mine was the caretaker for her husband who had sever dementia. She bathed him, managed his meds, everything. She falls and breaks her hip, she was dead in a week. This is common with patients that old, anesthesia alone FUCKs them up for days. A slippery sidewalk is a medical emergency for someone Bidens age.

    • pastel_de_airfryer@lemmy.eco.br
      4·
      4 months ago

      I recall hearing in a podcast that sometimes their bones are so worn out that it’s the other way around, their hips just snap and they fall down

  • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    4 months ago

    He’ll drop out with a medical condition just like how he’ll announce Israel has crossed his red line.

    His physician will also conveniently fail to find anything wrong with him just like the state department failed to find evidence of war crimes in Gaza.