The Biden administration’s apparent attempt to show that the US president is doing fine despite testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week backfired slightly and evoked a rather animated response on social media.
A short video recently shared online shows White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ashish Jha delivering an update on Biden’s health.
“He slept well last night, he ate his breakfast and lunch, fully,” Jha said as he addressed reporters at the White House. “He actually showed me his plate.”
These remarks left quite a few netizens noticeably amused and apparently incredulous that they were hearing a progress report about a grown man.
“Did he get his pudding or ice cream after like a good little boy?” one of them inquired.
“Today the WH reported that Biden ate his breakfast. Are they going to tell us when he goes potty?” asked another.
“He did insist the doctor cut his carrots into smaller pieces first,” quipped yet another netizen.
Some jokingly asked whether the newest member of the “clean plate club” got a “cookie” or a “smiley face sticker” for his efforts but there were also those who suggested that it all “sounds like a nursing home”.
On Thursday, US President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to remain isolated in the White House and scrap his plans to travel to Pennsylvania. Later that day, he announced via a tweet that he was “doing great”.
The POTUS was vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine in December 2020, getting his second dose of the vaccine in January 2021 and two booster shots in September 2021 and in March 2022.