Celebrities are questioning where President Joe Biden is currently, with country musician John Rich leading the charge.
On Sunday, Biden announced that he would not be seeking reelection in the 2024 presidential race, and threw his support behind Kamala Harris. Biden's decision followed weeks of pressure from within his party and from key Democratic donors to step down amid concerns over his age and mental acuity. Although Biden will not stand for reelection, he said he will continue to serve as president for the remainder of his term.
Just a few days earlier, Biden revealed on Wednesday that he had been diagnosed with coronavirus and would be isolating as he recovers. The president has not been seen since, leading people to speculate what might be happening behind the scenes at the White House. Some believe there is something nefarious going on and that Biden might not have been behind the decision to end his reelection campaign—and now #WhereIsBiden is trending on X, formerly Twitter.
Newsweek emailed spokespeople for Biden and Rich for comment on Tuesday.
Rich—a Republican and fervent supporter of Donald Trump—posted on X: "Forget where's Hunter. Where's Joe?"
Rich rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of country music band Lonestar, before forming Big & Rich with country singer Big Kenny in the early 2000s.
The 50-year-old has become a controversial figure in recent years for his political and social views. The singer is open about his political opinions on X, often criticizing Biden and liberal politics in general, and has rallied against "wokeism."
Rich wasn't the only one to pose such a question on the social media site, as comedian Rob Schneider also questioned the president's whereabouts.
"I guess Joe Biden sleeps with the Democratic fishies... Where the hell is he?!" he asked.
Once best known for being a Saturday Night Live alum, these days, Schneider often makes the news for being an anti-vaxxer and for his opinions on a variety of social and political matters.
Previously describing himself as a "lifelong Democrat," in 2013, Schneider said he'd become a Republican, backing Republican California Assemblyman Tim Donnelly for governor. However, during an appearance on Larry King Now in 2017, Schneider said he was an independent voter. Then in 2020, Schneider said he still "identifies as a classic liberal." In an interview with Fatherly, the actor said he still believes in "equal rights, equal pay, civil rights, gay rights," but rallied against "cancel culture."
Another famous face that has weighed in on the topic is Piers Morgan, who wrote on X: "Crazy that the President of the United States has gone AWOL for so long. Where is he?"
In his post, Morgan had reshared a video from author Matt Walsh, who had posted a video of Biden leaving a plane. The caption reads: "This is the last time Joe Biden was seen. It was five days ago. Nobody knows where he is, what he's doing, if he's okay, or who is running the country at the moment."
At the time of writing, Morgan's post had been viewed 597,500 times.
Conservative political commentator Candace Owens shared a video of Biden calling into a Harris event, which was the first time he had been heard from publicly since his diagnosis. During the call, which was broadcast to the assembled team via speakerphone held by Harris's campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden praised the efforts of his former campaign staff.
"Here's the full tape of Joe Biden calling into a Kamala Harris event just moments ago. This is the first time anyone has heard from Biden in five days," the caption of the video, uploaded by Charlie Kirk, reads.
Owens added: "All of this is very bizarre. He needs to make an actual appearance, ASAP."
Newsweek also emailed spokespeople for Morgan, Owens and Schneider for comment on Tuesday.
While there are plenty of people questioning where the president is, there are also those under the trending hashtag who aren't as concerned about his whereabouts.
"'Where is Joe Biden' is truly the dumbest trending topic. We know where he is, isolating until his COVID case isn't infectious anymore. You know, like all of you should do when you get sick," one person wrote.
"For those wondering, Where is Joe Biden. He's home as he is still testing positive for COVID. He's recovering well though. All of MAGA has dementia," said another, which had been viewed 412,200 times.
A third person added: "'Where is Joe Biden?' Wtf is that? He's 81, you all said he was too old to run, he steps down. He's got COVID, and is isolating. If he didn't, you'd blast him for that. I hate people and need to get off this stupid app."
On Sunday, Biden's physician, Kevin O'Connor, issued an update on the president's health after he tested positive for COVID-19. The doctor's letter, addressed to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, was written on the same day Biden announced he would not run for reelection.
"President Biden completed his eighth dose of Paxlovid [an antiviral COVID-19 medication] this morning. His symptoms have improved significantly. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear," O'Connor wrote.
"The President continues to tolerate treatment without any difficulty and will continue Paxlovid as planned. He continues to perform all of his presidential duties.
He added: "I will continue to keep your office updated with any changes in his condition or treatment plan."
Before stepping down on Sunday, Biden faced mounting calls to end his campaign in the weeks following his disastrous debate performance in Atlanta. Since he was diagnosed with COVID-19, it has been reported that the most senior congressional Democrats privately advised the president to end his campaign.
Now that Biden has stepped down, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Jaime Harrison told Newsweek that the party would "undertake a transparent and orderly process" to choose a new nominee. Harris is currently the leading candidate to secure the nomination.
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