In a serious downgrade of presidential health crises since the last one, President-elect Joe Biden’s doctor stated on Sunday that his most important patient has hairline fractures “mid-foot” that will “likely require a walking boot for several weeks.” In a serious upgrade of presidential attitudes toward dogs, Biden hurt his right foot while playing with his German shepherd, Major.
“Initial X-rays did not show any obvious fracture, but his clinical exam warranted more detailed imaging,” said Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s primary-care doctor since 2009. “Follow-up CT scan confirmed hairline (small) fractures of President-elect Biden’s lateral and intermediate cuneiform bones, which are in the mid-foot.” Earlier on Sunday, Biden’s office stated that he would visit an orthopedist after twisting his ankle “out of an abundance of caution.”
Considering the low stakes of the situation, the previous questions surrounding the fitness of the 78-year-old, and the overall opacity of President Trump’s communication surrounding his own medical status, the injury served as an opportunity for the Biden team to get off on the right foot regarding clear information on presidential health during a pandemic. But thanks to Trump’s not-so-careful reading, it may have also gotten the lame duck to tacitly admit his election loss. As Yahoo News’ White House correspondent Hunter Walker notes, when the president retweeted the above video of Biden outside the doctor’s office, it appears to be the first time Biden’s title as “president-elect” appeared on his Twitter feed. Last week, Trump agreed to a basic level of coordination between his administration and the incoming one, but did not concede to reality, instead noting that his unsuccessful court cases to contest the election “STRONGLY” continue.
