'A Bullet Couldn’t Stop Trump, A Virus Just Stopped Biden,’ Argues Democratic Strategist Van Jones

While on a trip to Las Vegas, President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to the White House. The news first came to light through UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía, just as Biden was scheduled to speak at a UnidosUS event. Meanwhile, CNN analyst and Democratic strategist Van Jones noted a stark contrast, as highlighted by The Hill, between Biden pausing his campaign due to COVID-19 and Donald Trump continuing his campaign after an assassination attempt.

Jones said, “There are a lot of people who want Biden to stay in. I want to just keep pointing out, there is still a grassroots love for Joe Biden.” As reported by Mediaite, he added, "But today is a terrible day. If you pull back and look at this thing – strength versus weakness – a bullet couldn’t stop Trump, a virus just stopped Biden. You’ve got the nominees of this party getting their butts kissed. Biden’s getting his butt kicked by his own party. The Democrats are coming apart. The Republicans are coming together, that’s what’s happened. And at some point, this party has to look at the reality of that."

Adding to the uncertainty, Biden is also facing immense pressure from within his party to step down from the election campaign. BBC also notes that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has told Biden in private that he cannot beat Trump in the upcoming election. This advice comes at a time when there is increased dissent among the democrats, especially after Biden’s disappointing debate performance with Trump. Recently, Rep. Adam Schiff is the most prominent elected Democrat to openly call on Biden to pull out of the presidential race, according to CNN.

Schiff said, “While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election." He added, “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November." Meanwhile, according to the White House, Biden had upper respiratory symptoms, including a runny nose and cough, which prompted his COVID-19 test.

In a statement, the doctor said, “The President presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorrhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise. He felt okay 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." Since he was expected to speak at a conference in Las Vegas, Murguía revealed to the crowd, “The president has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for COVID," as reported by The Hill.