President Joe Biden was set to speak at UnidosUS' annual convention on Wednesday afternoon. Instead, Janet Murguia, the organization's president took his spot almost two hours after his scheduled arrival time to announce he tested positive for COVID and will not be able to join the event as a result.
Biden taped a radio interview with Univision— set to air Thursday— shortly before the positive test was disclosed.
"I was just on the phone with President Biden. And he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for Covid," Murguia told attendees.
No further details were immediately known.
Biden was set to speak directly to Latinos in Las Vegas on Wednesday, aiming to reverse a downward trend in his approval ratings with the demographic, something reflected in several polls.
The President was also scheduled to highlight his accomplishments with the Latino community, announcing that beginning Aug. 19 certain U.S. citizens' spouses without legal status can begin applying for permanent residency and eventually citizenship without having to first leave the country.
The speech was also set to highlight that the Latino unemployment rate is near a record low, with more people in the community being able to obtain health insurance and the federal government doubling the number of Small Business Administration loans to Latino business owners since 2020.
The visit to the organization's convention was scheduled as Republicans are hosting their own national convention in Milwaukee, formally nominating former president Trump as the party's nominee, as well as increased tension among Democrats regarding Biden's candidacy, which continues despite his campaign's best efforts to let the subject cool down.
For instance, California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff called Wednesday, just hours before Biden's appearance in Las Vegas, for his exit from the 2024 presidential race, making him one of the most high-profile Democrats to call for this decision.
"While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch," Schiff said in a statement, which was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
"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," he said.
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