United States President Joe Biden will undergo a “routine” colonoscopy on Friday, under general anesthesia, and temporarily transfer his powers to the country's Vice President, Kamala Harris. It is the first time that a woman will exercise, temporarily and formally, the presidential prerogatives in the United States.
According to the statement released by the White House, the convoy carrying the president arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center, near Washington, around 13:50 GMT. This is where Joe Biden must undergo this examination, at the end of which the schedules and duration of the transfer of power can be determined. The US executive said the results of the proceedings would be released in the afternoon local time.
A PROMISE OF TRANSPARENCY
Intended to identify abnormalities of the colon, the intervention is part of the first health check-up of the American president, who will celebrate his 79 years on Saturday. In 2002 and 2007, one of his predecessors, George W. Bush, also had a colonoscopy. His powers had then also been transferred, "in accordance with the procedure provided for in the Constitution" of the United States. It is specified in the press release that Kamala Harris will work from the office she occupies in the "West Wing" of the White House, until the head of state resumes his duties.
The communication orchestrated around this examination is part of the promise of transparency made by Joe Biden concerning his health. The oldest president in the history of the United States, he has yet publicly expressed his intention to stand for re-election in 2024. His age, however, fuels speculation that he could give up. The opposing camp, and in particular supporters of Donald Trump, regularly and publicly question his physical health and his lucidity.
Some remember the ruptured aneurysm of which the Head of State suffered in 1988. In serious condition at the time, he was rushed to hospital where a priest had been dispatched to give him the last rites. But, at the end of 2019, when he was a candidate for the primary of his party, Joe Biden had been declared "in good health" and "vigorous" by his doctor.
If, despite everything, he were to not stand for re-election, Kamala Harris, 57, would be considered a natural candidate for the Democratic camp. So far, most observers nonetheless draw a mixed picture of her tenure as vice-president.
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