Joe Biden’s phone call to former campaign staffers on Monday has sparked new theories on the president’s health after an odd moment between the president and Kamala Harris.
The 81-year-old spoke in a scratchy voice from COVID isolation at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home and told Harris: ‘I’m watching you kid’.
However, many noted a strange exchange between the vice president and her boss, who has not been seen in five days and since he shocked the world by dropping out of the race via a letter posted to social media on Sunday.
The new presumptive Democratic nominee Harris said: ‘Joe, I know you’re still on the rec… on the call.’
With many having wildly suggested Biden is seriously ill because of the way he announced his departure, conservative firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene wondered if the game had been given up by Harris’ slip of the tongue.
Greene was referring to Harris clearly starting to say the word ‘recording’ before correcting herself and saying ‘call’ to Biden.
‘Did Kamala spill the beans? Was it a recording? That’s what she started to say,’ Greene said Monday.
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk called it a ‘very strange slip’ which got Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s attention.
The Colorado representative, who has been one of the most vocal people curious of Biden’s absence, asked: ‘Where is Joe?’
Another account pointed out campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez’s reaction to Biden’s planned remarks.
‘Pay attention to the body language of the woman at the podium; she knows something is clearly wrong here. She never has an actual conversation with Biden, prompting people to believe this was most likely a previously recorded audio or AI.’
Biden, as previously mentioned, has been unable to speak publicly since testing positive for COVID last week.
His ‘symptoms have almost resolved completely’ from COVID-19, according to his physician, as the president on Monday remained out of public view for the fifth straight day.
Biden´s physician, Dr. Kevin O´Connor, said that the president had completed his 10th dose of the COVID-fighting medication Paxlovid on Monday morning and continued to perform all of his presidential duties.
‘His symptoms have almost resolved completely. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal,’ O´Connor wrote. ‘His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear.’
The president was last seen in public late Wednesday after arriving at a U.S. air base in Dover, Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas earlier in the day.
He then motorcaded to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The White House says Biden plans to return to the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
‘If I didn´t have COVID, I´d be standing there with you,’ said Biden, whose voice sounded a touch gravelly, on the call Monday.
There’s no suggestion or known evidence that Biden is suffering another, more serious health issues. Any such illness could present a major national security issue and would raise questions about whether he needs to step down as president ahead of the November election.
That hasn’t stopped political figures on both left and right from speculating on what happened to Biden.
Controversial congresswoman Lauren Boebert, 37, posted on X on Monday demanding ‘proof of life’ from the 81-year-old and even giving the president a deadline.
The Republican firebrand – who has previously been embroiled in multiple scandals relating to conspiracy theories – said: ‘I demand proof of life from Joe Biden today by 5:00pm.
‘He needs to get in front of some camera and discuss if he’s aware that he dropped out. Hiding is completely unacceptable.’
Journalist Glenn Greenwald – an anti-Biden left-winger – also posted on social media deeming it ‘strange and wrong’ that Biden hadn’t given a televised announcement or appeared in person since revealing his bombshell decision.
Greenwald wrote: ‘I don’t endorse Biden conspiracies, but still: It’s strange and wrong that Biden hasn’t spoken given the historic magnitude of his announcement.
‘Having a President drop out by tweet and then disappear is bizarre. If he’s well enough to decide, then he’s well enough to speak.’
Alongside Boebert, fellow GOP representative Greene described Biden’s decision to drop out in similar conspiratorial terms.
Without any evidence, Greene posted on X saying: ‘There’s a soft civil war happening in the deep state and the elites in power.
‘The Democrats, the IC, and their activists in the media have been lying to us saying there’s nothing wrong with Biden for years.
‘Next, they start a coup against him demanding he drop out of the race when they couldn’t hide it anymore.’
Greene is notorious for backing multiple outlandish conspiracy theories, including the QAnon claim that Trump is locked in a battle against Satan-worshipping Democrats and celebrities.
Biden’s health appears to be what ultimately ended his campaign, after a disastrous TV debate against Donald Trump, 78, last month.
Worries about Biden’s wellbeing were exacerbated Sunday after his younger brother claimed illness had been a factor in his decision to stand down.
Frank Biden told CBS: ‘I’m incredibly proud of my brother. Selfishly, I will have him back to enjoy whatever time we have left.’
But a Biden family source poured very hot water on Frank’s claims. ‘Frank Biden suffers from alcoholism and hasn’t spoken to his brother in weeks,’ the source said. ‘What he said… is completely untrue.’
A top Parkinson’s disease specialist visited the White House multiple times this year, although officials have insisted Biden is in good health.
Biden made the announcement that he was backing out of the presidential race by sharing a letter to his social media on Sunday afternoon.
On Monday, he pledged to still be involved in the reelection fight and said he would continue to hit the campaign trail as he interacted on loudspeaker with his staffers who now work for Harris.
Biden’s comments followed questions of why he hadn’t been seen or heard from since he made the bombshell announcement on X Sunday afternoon that he was stepping aside.
‘I know yesterday’s news is surprising and hard for you to hear, but it was the right thing to do,’ the president said.
‘I know it’s hard because you poured your heart and soul into me, to help us win this thing, help me get this nomination, help me win the nomination and then go on to win the presidency,’ he continued.
Already there were signs that the campaign had moved on, with signage that read ‘Harris for President,’ ‘Kamala,’ and ‘Restore Roe’ hung on the walls of the office.
There was one wall in the Delaware office that remained covered in signs with the ‘Biden-Harris’ logo.
As Harris took the podium, she noted how Biden was still on the call.
‘We love Joe and Jill,’ the vice president said.
‘It’s mutual,’ Biden interjected from the phone line.
‘I knew you were still there, you’re not going anywhere Joe,’ she said laughing. ‘I love you Joe,’ she added.
So far no other mainstream Democrat appears to be challenging Harris, though self-help guru Marianne Williamson, who ran against Biden in the 2024 primaries, pushed that there should be an open convention when the Democrats meet in Chicago in August.
Democratic lawmakers, donors and grassroots supporters have coalesced around Harris, who would be the first woman and woman of color to be elected U.S. president.
A spokesperson for the campaign said that the Harris campaign raised $81 million in donations since Biden bowed out and more than 28,000 individuals signed up to volunteer.
Biden’s campaign staff had been blindsided with the news that he was dropping out of the 2024 race – finding out via the X post Sunday like the rest of the American people.
‘No one had a heads up before the tweet posted,’ a campaign source told DailyMail.com Sunday. ‘Which to me is an insane way to treat the 1,300 people that work for you,’ the source added.
At 5 p.m. Sunday on an all-staff call, O’Malley Dillon assured aides that their jobs would remain.
She also acknowledged that it was ‘hard for staff who may have gotten the news while they were working or door knocking,’ but that it was ‘important’ that they heard from the president ‘in his own words.’
Shortly after Biden posted the letter saying he was bowing out of the race he said in a follow-up post on X that he was endorsing Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee.
‘I’m hoping you’ll give every bit of your heart and soul that you gave to me to Kamala,’ Biden said on loudspeaker Monday. ‘And I want you to know, I won’t be on the ticket but I’m still going to be fully, fully engaged.’
‘I’ve got six months left of my presidency, I’m determined to get as much done as I possibly can – both foreign policy and domestic policy,’ he continued, making mention of ‘working for an end to the war in Gaza.’
The president added that he would be doing ‘whatever Kamala wants me or needs me to do in addition.’
‘So let me be real clear. We’re still fighting in this fight together. I’m not going anywhere,’ the president said.