Was Joe Biden really in hospice care? Debunking viral conspiracy theory over POTUS’ absence

WASHINGTON, DC: After President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket, numerous claims surfaced online about his health.

These rumors ranged from suggestions that Biden, at 81 years old, is missing, terminally ill, dying, or already dead.

The rumors and their origins

Right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk arguably played a notable role in amplifying these rumors. Kirk posted on social media that Joe Biden had experienced a medical emergency in Las Vegas the previous week and might be in hospice care. These claims have been thoroughly debunked, according to Newsweek.

Kirk's post contradicted the official narrative of the President's Covid-19 diagnosis, which fueled widespread speculation.

The conservative pundit shared the rumor on Monday, July 22, on X, formerly known as 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."

Kirk continued, "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."

He added, "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."

By Tuesday, Kirk's post had been viewed 23.8 million times.

Kirk has previously been known to spread dubious theories aligning with right-wing talking points. For example, he has previously voiced skepticism about the capability of Black pilots due to diversity hiring practices.

Additionally, in a now-deleted 2018 post on X, he vastly overstated the number of human trafficking arrests made under the Trump administration compared to the Obama administration, citing fake "Department of Justice" data from QAnon message board 8Chan.

Additional speculations about Joe Biden's health status

An X account named Global Press Corp further 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."

This post did not provide any supporting evidence and was widely criticized in the comments, with users labeling Global Press as a "trash account" and declaring the report "100% false."

Despite this, the post had been viewed 14.9 million times by Tuesday. However, it appears the account @GlobalPressCorp has since been taken down.

Despite these swirling rumors, official reports tell a different story. According to the White House, Biden was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Wednesday, July 17, during his visit to Las Vegas.

Video footage shows Biden telling reporters he felt good before walking unaided up the steps to Air Force One to fly back to his beach house in Delaware, where he would isolate and begin his recovery.

Another video showed him walking slowly down the steps after arriving in Delaware.

Joe Biden’s activitives and medical update

Facing increasing pressure from within his own party, Joe Biden announced on Sunday, July 21, that he would not seek reelection in November and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

He participated via phone in Harris's news conference on Monday, and the White House indicated he would return to work on 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 provided no indication that Biden's condition is more serious than reported. Newsweek confirmed this by stating that there was no basis for the alarming rumors. 

Kirk stated in his post, "I didn't think too much about this lead, seemed too wild to be true," and called for more information to substantiate the rumor.

He concluded, "I want to hear if there is more to the official story than what they're telling us."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.