Joe Biden resumed his presidential duties late this afternoon
Eva Deschamps / November 20, 2021
Joe Biden handed over the reins of the White House to Kamala Harris for a colonoscopy under general anesthesia. Following the examination, doctors released his report card, which states that the U.S. President is in good health and fit for duty.
During the review, Joe Biden transferred his prerogatives to Vice President Kamala Harris. This was a historic interlude, lasting one hour and 25 minutes, during which a woman was at the head of the world's leading power. This temporary transfer of prerogatives is not unprecedented, as Marie-Christine Bonzon, a political scientist specializing in the United States, points out.
This happened twice during the presidency of George W. Bush, who served two four-year terms. During the time he was under anesthesia, in both cases, in 2002 and 2007, he was briefly replaced in office by Dick Cheney, she said.
In 2019, Trump had also had to undergo a colonoscopy. But the latter would have refused the general anesthesia so as not to have to transfer his functions, even temporarily. According to a former spokeswoman for Melania and Donald Trump, the reason would have been that the president did not want to transfer his powers even temporarily to his vice president, whose name was Mike Pence, clarifies Marie-Christine Bonzon.