Conservatives Suggest Biden May Be Dying; Fact-Checkers Push Back
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Rumors have spread that President Joe Biden’s health condition may be more severe than the official account of his COVID-19 diagnosis.
The Claim: Conservative pundit Charlie Kirk (Right bias) reported speaking to a source close to Las Vegas police who said that Biden’s Vegas trip last week was not cut short due to COVID but a health emergency that required him to be flown immediately to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. Kirk wrote, “Apparently the rumor mill in the police department was that Joe Biden was dying or possibly already dead.”
For Context: Conservative commentator Laura Loomer also claimed Biden is dying in a post on X that’s been viewed over 20 million times. Tuesday afternoon around 2 ET, Biden was seen boarding Air Force One in Delaware.
Fact Checks: In a news article Tuesday, The New York Times (Lean Left bias) described “doubts that President Biden is alive” as “baseless.” A news article from Newsweek (Center bias) called the claim “unsubstantiated rumors without credible evidence.”
White House Report: In an official report released on Monday, Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, stated, “President Biden completed his tenth dose of Paxlovid this morning. His symptoms have almost resolved completely.”
How The Media Covered It: Newsweek described Kirk as someone “who has a history of promoting questionable theories.” The Times said the theory that Biden might be dead “adds to a torrent of falsehoods and misleading posts by right-wing influencers that have spread since Mr. Biden’s announcement.” Editor's Note: This story was updated to feature coverage from The Daily Mail, and a video of Biden boarding Air Force One.
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