The sight of a major political figure in obvious decline always sends shockwaves through the media, but when the figure is former U.S. President Joe Biden, 82, the image becomes a flashpoint. Last Friday, 7 November, at a Democratic Party event, Joe Biden made a rare public appearance wearing a prominent new bandage on his head.
This visual sign of a recent procedure, combined with an emotional comment about his late son that critics quickly seized upon, reignited long-standing questions about the former president's age, health transparency, and long-term prognosis.
