Unsubstantiated rumours have been circulating on social media suggesting that US President Joe Biden may have passed away.
Biden recently announced that he would not be seeking re-election in the upcoming presidential elections.
The 81-year-old president’s decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor came amid growing concerns about his age and health, especially after he tested positive for COVID-19 again on 17 July 2024.
The speculation began on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Biden had no scheduled events in the near future.
For Monday, July 22, 2024 the schedule showed “The President has no public events scheduled”, and from Tuesday, July 23, 2024 – Sunday, July 28, 2024, reading, “Additional details to the President’s schedule forthcoming”.
However, the statement announcing his decision not to run for re-election was not released on official White House letterhead, sparking further speculation.
Furthermore, some have pointed out inconsistencies between the signature on the current release where he supposedly stepped down as Presidential Candidate of the Democratic Party, compared to his signature on the last five Executive orders.
Moreover, the flag at the White House has been observed at half-mast, fuelling additional concern and confusion.
The flag on the White House is never flown at half-mast except upon the occasion of the death of the President of the United States or an ex-president. This raises questions about who may be dead in the White House.
In another development, Israeli sources have reported that President Biden cancelled his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, which was scheduled to take place on Thursday.
This unexpected move has added to the uncertainty and raised more questions about the President’s health and whereabouts.
Additionally, it has been observed that the light in the President’s room is currently off, further fueling speculation and concern.
Despite the rumours, there is no credible evidence to suggest that President Biden’s health has taken a turn for the worse or that he has passed away.
The White House has not released an official statement addressing the rumours, but experts consider them to be baseless.
Republican Representative, Lauren Boebert has demanded “proof of life” from Joe Biden, following the announcement that he is dropping his reelection campaign – which was delivered via an online statement.
“I demand proof of life from Joe Biden today by 5:00 pm. He needs to get in front of some camera and discuss if he’s aware that he dropped out. Hiding is completely unacceptable,” the congresswoman wrote in a post on X.