Joe Biden, under anesthesia for colonoscopy, temporarily transfers power to Kamala Harris

Small point on the health (intimate) of the American president. Joe Biden will undergo a “routine” colonoscopy at Walter Reed Medical Center near Washington on Friday, according to a White House statement. That is to say an examination of the colon by anal route under general anesthesia.

Suddenly the President of the United States will transfer his powers to his Vice-President Kamala Harris. This will be the first time in the history of the country that a woman will temporarily and formally exercise presidential prerogatives in the United States. Kamala Harris will work from the office she occupies in the “West Wing” of the White House during this time, it is further clarified.

Joe Biden’s review results to be made public

Joe Biden’s convoy arrived at the medical center around 13:50 GMT. The times and duration of this transfer of power will be known at the end of the intervention, said the White House. This “routine” examination, intended to identify abnormalities of the colon, is part of the first health check of the president, who celebrates his 79 years on Saturday.

Details of this review will be released in the afternoon, Washington time, the US executive said. “As was the case when President George W. Bush underwent the same intervention in 2002 and 2007, and in accordance with the procedure provided by the Constitution, President Biden will transfer his powers to the Vice President for a short period,” while he is under anesthesia, ”added the executive. Former Donald Trump spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham implied in a recent book that the Republican billionaire also had a colonoscopy during his tenure, but kept the procedure a secret.

The oldest American president

Joe Biden, who does not smoke or drink, is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and received his third dose at the end of September. The oldest president in the history of the United States, he has made it known publicly that he intends to stand for re-election in 2024. His age, however, is fueling speculation that he could give up.

This medical examination was eagerly awaited by the American press. Joe Biden has promised the greatest transparency about his state of health, while some supporters of Donald Trump do not lose any opportunity to question publicly, in a more or less roundabout way, about his physical health and his lucidity.

On the verge of death in 1988

The Democrat had been declared “in good health” and “vigorous” by his doctor at the end of 2019, when he was a candidate for the primary of his party. However, he experienced a serious health alert in 1988. Urgently transported to hospital after a ruptured aneurysm, a priest had been called to give him the last rites.

If Joe Biden did not stand for re-election, Kamala Harris, 57, would be seen as a natural candidate for the Democratic camp, although so far most observers have a mixed record of her tenure as vice president.