President Joe Biden pulled out of a speech before the nation’s largest Latino organization on Wednesday after he tested positive for COVID-19.
The positive test was initially announced by UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguia, who prompted audible gasps as she said she had bad news.
“We are disappointed to not hear from him here today,” Murguia said to the crowd gathered at MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip. “We appreciate very much his wanting to have been here.”
Murguia told the packed ballroom that she had just gotten off the phone with Biden. She said Biden expressed regret for missing the event and promised to make it up.
“He said to tell my folks that we’re not going to get rid of him that quickly, we’re going to have a chance to hear from him in the future directly,” Murguia said. “He’s just really sorry that he couldn’t be with us.”
The audience applauded after Murguia said: “We understand that he needs to take the steps that he needs to take to not just protect himself but to protect all of us.”
In a statement a few minutes later from presidential spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House confirmed that Biden had tested positive for COVID-19.
“He is vaccinated and boosted, and he is experiencing mild symptoms. He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.”
The statement said Biden had upper respiratory symptoms Wednesday afternoon, including a runny nose and non-productive cough, as well as “general malaise,” but no fever.
“He felt OK for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus,” the statement said.
This as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Nevada is detecting “very high” COVID levels in wastewater.
Biden also had COVID in 2022
About 90 minutes before news broke of his positive test, Biden made an appearance at Lindo Michoacan on Desert Inn Road. He met with attendees at the restaurant, where he was joined by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford.
The president boarded Air Force One around 3:20 p.m., and the plane departed Harry Reid International Airport shortly thereafter.
The statement said Biden received his first dose of Paxlovid, an antiviral drug that can ease symptoms of the disease. The Associated Press reported that Biden tested positive for COVID-19 twice in the summer of 2022, when he had a primary case and a rebound case of the virus.
In an interview taped with BET before he tested positive on Wednesday, Biden said that if his doctors told him he had a “medical condition,” he would consider withdrawing from the presidential race, according to ABC News.
Biden’s keynote speech at the “Nuestro Momento Luncheon” was to follow a speech he gave Tuesday in Las Vegas at the NAACP’s 115th National Conference.
The luncheon — in which journalist Soledad O’Brien, political commentator Ana Navarro, and Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice also spoke — started at 12:30 p.m.
UnidosUS is the largest Latino-centered civil rights organization. Its nonpartisan status bars it from endorsing political candidates.
The annual, three-day conference, which began Monday, attracted about 1,500 attendees and more than 100 speakers, according to organizers. Speakers included diverse Biden administration officials and elected Nevada officials.
Biden, who has been slipping in the polls after a disastrous debate performance and facing calls to step aside, was in Las Vegas to speak with organizations representing Blacks and Latinos, communities that have tended to back Democrats.
The significance of his visit Wednesday was evident by the sheer number of people in attendance, with a line out the door hours prior to the scheduled luncheon.
‘I wish I would have seen him’
Both political parties are attempting to lock down the crucial Latino vote, one of the topics discussed at the “Our Time is Now!” convention.
After Murguia’s announcement, attendees shuffled out of the ballroom to another programmed event.
“And the worst part is, I was front row,” a woman was overheard saying into her phone outside the luncheon.
Other people outside shared their disappointment.
“I wish I would have seen him. I was a little disappointed, but I mean I understand, COVID is COVID,” Juliet Machado, who immigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela 35 years ago, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Rony Balthazar-Lopez, from Delaware, said that while he was disappointed, he was grateful to the president for taking COVID seriously.
“At the onset of COVID, there was still a lot of reluctance among Hispanics to get vaccinated, and I still think there’s a lot of people that haven’t gotten vaccinated. So just hearing that the president got COVID may inspire or get some people to become less reluctant to get the COVID vaccine,” Balthazar-Lopez said.
Biden’s positive test also comes at a time in which the president is under scrutiny for his age and health.
“Both parties should have younger people, honestly,” Machado said.
Still, Balthazar-Lopez said he will continue to support Biden, and hopes to see the Hispanic community show up for him in November.
“I think the consequences for what can happen if we go under another Trump presidency outnumber any concerns about President Biden’s age or his ability to lead. And I think he has demonstrated good leadership in the past four years that hasn’t convinced me that he needs to step down,” Balthazar-Lopez said.
Other attendees were grateful Biden had planned a visit at all.
“I think it was amazing he was scheduled to come here and take the time, especially during an election year. I think that was really meaningful for us,” Carmen Bolivar said.
Outside the luncheon, people laughed and spoke in both English and Spanish while they bought jewelry and art from vendors stationed outside.
“We just hope that he gets well soon,” Bolivar said.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Contact Taylor R. Avery at tavery@reviewjournal.com. Follow @travery98 on X.