
Joe Biden tested positive again for Covid in a rare “rebound” case on Saturday. Although not experiencing any new symptoms, the US president said he was “isolating for the safety of everyone”. Perfect, I thought! If only he could stay more or less permanently out of sight, he might stand a chance of winning a second term of office in 2024. Campaigning from his basement in 2020 was a great way to remind voters of his number one advantage: he was not Donald Trump. As it is, the Democrats have a looming succession problem.
Am I being unkind? All eyes were on Biden as he emerged on the White House balcony last night to announce the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, 71, the Al Qaeda leader, in a drone strike. “Justice has been delivered,” he said. It was a significant victory on the one-year anniversary of America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, proving the US could still fight terrorism without boots on the ground. Fox News presenter Bret Baier said approvingly, “This is a huge, huge win for the US.”