U.S. President Joe Biden headed to Washington on Tuesday, two days after ending his re-election bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination to take on Republican former President Donald Trump.
Biden spent nearly a week recovering from COVID at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, as he weighed his 2024 candidacy, ultimately dropping his campaign and preparing to address the nation about his decision to not seek another term in office.
The president wore his trademark aviator glasses and clasped a surgical mask as he boarded Air Force One to Washington, where he will speak to Americans from the Oval Office on Wednesday night.
Biden’s White House physician said the president had tested negative for COVID and that his symptoms had resolved.
“The president continues to perform all of his presidential duties,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote in a letter on Tuesday.
Biden said his Wednesday remarks, scheduled for 8 p.m. (12 a.m. Thursday GMT), will address “what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people.”
On Thursday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.
Trump said he will meet with Netanyahu on Friday at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Netanyahu is in Washington and due to address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday and meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday.
“Looking forward to welcoming Bibi Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday.
The former U.S. president, who in public comments has urged Israel to “finish up” its war against Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, has consistently portrayed himself as a reliable ally to Israel.
During Trump’s 2017-2021 White House term, the U.S. moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a long-held conservative goal that delighted Israelis and infuriated Palestinians.
Trump praised his role in the Abraham Accords, agreements signed during the Trump years that normalized bilateral relations between Israel and both Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
“During my first term, we had Peace and Stability in the Region, even signing the historic Abraham Accords - And we will have it again,” Trump said in his Truth Social post.
He criticized the new presumptive Democratic 2024 presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, as being “in no way capable of stopping” world conflicts.