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Biden, 80, to undergo medical checkup ahead of potential 2024 bid

Jason Palmer American Samoa
Image: Video Screenshot

Joe Biden will complete a routine medical checkup on Thursday, a crucial step for the oldest-ever US president ahead of his expected fight for reelection in 2024.

The White House has promised to release the report by the 80-year-old president’s doctor, as it also did during his previous checkup in 2021.

This time around, with the Republican 2024 campaign already kicking off, it will be scrutinized even more closely.

Despite poor poll ratings, Biden – a Democrat – has been suggesting for some time that he intends to run again, potentially lining up a rematch of his 2020 battle with his predecessor Donald Trump, who has already declared his candidacy.

“That’s my intention, I think, but I haven’t made that decision firmly yet,” he said in a PBS interview on February 8.

Biden’s last checkup was on November 19, 2021, when he underwent a complete examination, including a colonoscopy under general anesthesia.

He transferred his powers for one hour and 25 minutes to Vice President Kamala Harris, making her the first woman in US history to hold the presidential prerogative.

Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, at the time painted a picture of a healthy man fit to carry out his presidential duties.

But he did also point out relatively minor signs of old age, and noted Biden’s stiffer gait, attributing it to a mild nerve condition affecting the feet; as well as a frequent cough caused by gastroesophageal reflux.

Joe Biden will complete a routine medical checkup on Thursday, a crucial step for the oldest-ever US president ahead of his expected fight for reelection in 2024.

The White House has promised to release the report by the 80-year-old president’s doctor, as it also did during his previous checkup in 2021.

This time around, with the Republican 2024 campaign already kicking off, it will be scrutinized even more closely.

Despite poor poll ratings, Biden – a Democrat – has been suggesting for some time that he intends to run again, potentially lining up a rematch of his 2020 battle with his predecessor Donald Trump, who has already declared his candidacy.

“That’s my intention, I think, but I haven’t made that decision firmly yet,” he said in a PBS interview on February 8.

Biden’s last checkup was on November 19, 2021, when he underwent a complete examination, including a colonoscopy under general anesthesia.

He transferred his powers for one hour and 25 minutes to Vice President Kamala Harris, making her the first woman in US history to hold the presidential prerogative.

Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, at the time painted a picture of a healthy man fit to carry out his presidential duties.

But he did also point out relatively minor signs of old age, and noted Biden’s stiffer gait, attributing it to a mild nerve condition affecting the feet; as well as a frequent cough caused by gastroesophageal reflux.

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AFP

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.







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