by Casey Harper
President Joe Biden issued a vague statement Tuesday morning that raised more questions than answers about his health and future in the White House.
“Tomorrow evening at 8:00 PM ET, I will address the nation from the Oval Office to talk about what lies ahead and how I will finish the job for the American people,” Biden wrote Tuesday morning on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Biden’s brief statement did not provide any details about his health or future plans.
Biden’s promise to address the nation on “what lies ahead” comes after his announcement that he would not seek re-election, as well as circulating rumors about his health and whether he would finish his term at all.
His lack of public appearances amid health concerns and the transition of power to Harris has only deepened concerns. In a letter posted on social media Sunday announcing his decision not to seek reelection, Biden promised to “speak to the nation in more detail later this week” about the decision.
Despite an effortless victory in the Democratic primary, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket. Harris quickly gathered Democratic donors, endorsements, and the delegates she needed to all but cement her nomination.
Biden’s decline intensified after a disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump in behind schedule June that prompted calls for Biden to leave his own party. Biden’s incoherence, stumbling and long pauses exposed his cognitive decline and raised grave concerns about the president’s health.
Biden initially refused to concede, but pressure from elected Democrats, donors and party insiders mounted.
Biden then reportedly had a health issue that the White House said was COVID. He was recovering but announced Sunday that he would drop out of the presidential race.
Republicans argue that if Biden is not fit to run for reelection, he is not fit to serve as president.
“If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining president?” vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, wrote Sunday in an Oct. “Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along, that Biden is not mentally fit to serve as Commander in Chief. There is no middle ground.”
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Casey Harper is a senior reporter in the Bureau of Central Square. He previously worked for The Daily Caller, The Hill and Sinclair Broadcast Group. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Casey has also appeared on Fox News, Fox Business and USA Today.
Photo “Joe Biden” by Joe Biden.
