Recent rumors claiming that U.S. Capitol flags at half-staff signal President Joe Biden's death are entirely false. The flags were lowered to honor U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who recently passed away, as confirmed by the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The misinformation spread rapidly after President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 and announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. Social media posts, misinterpreting the lowered flags at the Capitol, suggested that Biden had died. One post on X, formerly Twitter, shared screenshots of the Capitol with the caption, "Joe Biden is dead." Another post claimed, "Flag is at half mast at the Capitol Building in D.C. Biden is dead and they killed him. Will blame on Covid."
These claims were quickly debunked by official sources. The office of House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that the flags were lowered to honor Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, not President Biden. Additionally, live streams from the White House showed its flags at full-staff, contradicting the false claims circulating online.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat known for her work in protecting women from domestic violence and recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday, passed away Friday night. She had announced her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on June 2. Her death prompted the lowering of the Capitol flags, following the standard protocol for members of Congress.
President Biden is alive and well. He was seen arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Tuesday for a flight back to Washington after isolating with COVID-19 at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach. According to a White House pool report, Biden exited his motorcade at 1:44 p.m. and, when asked about his health, responded, "I'm feeling well." He boarded Air Force One shortly thereafter. Multiple Associated Press photographs documented his presence at the base.
Biden's last public appearance was late Wednesday when he arrived at the same Dover base after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier that day while campaigning in Las Vegas. Dr. Kevin O'Connor, the president's physician, provided an update on Biden's health, stating that he had completed his 10th dose of the COVID-fighting medication Paxlovid and that his symptoms had almost completely resolved. "His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal," O'Connor wrote in a memo. "His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear."
Biden also took to X to announce that he would address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening to discuss future plans and how he intends to "finish the job for the American people."
Despite these clarifications, the false claims persisted, fueled by earlier reports of Biden's positive COVID-19 test and his subsequent self-isolation. On July 21, Biden had published a letter on his X account announcing he would not seek re-election. The absence of accompanying photographs or video led some to speculate about the president's health. However, the White House quickly issued an official statement from Biden's doctor, reinforcing that his COVID-19 symptoms had nearly resolved and that he was continuing to perform his presidential duties.
The lowering of the Capitol flag further spurred speculation. This act, however, was a tribute to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, in accordance with the law which states that the flag remains at half-staff on the day of a Member of Congress's death and the following day, and may stay lowered until the day of the funeral.
There has been no official statement from the White House or any credible source announcing the death of President Biden. On the contrary, the White House issued a statement in Biden's name commenting on the resignation of the Secret Service director following an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
In the event of a president's death, the U.S. Constitution mandates that the Vice President assumes the presidency. No such transition has occurred, further confirming that the claims of Biden's death are baseless.
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