Capitol flags at half-staff for Sheila Jackson Lee, no sign of Biden’s death

SLAVED — US President Joe Biden is facing heavy criticism from Donald Trump and Republicans. (Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

Recent rumors that the Capitol flags were lowered to half-staff to signal the death of President Joe Biden are completely false. The flags were lowered in honor of U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who recently passed away, as confirmed by House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office.

The misinformation spread quickly after President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 and announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. Social media posts misinterpreted the lowered flags at the Capitol as suggesting that Biden had died. One post on X, formerly Twitter, shared screenshots of the Capitol with the caption, “Joe Biden is dead.” Another post claimed, “Flags are at half-staff at the Capitol building in DC. Biden is dead and they killed him. We blame it on Covid.”

These claims were quickly debunked by official sources. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office confirmed that the flags were lowered in honor of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, not President Biden. Furthermore, livestreams from the White House showed the flags at full staff, contradicting the false claims circulating online.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat known for her work protecting women from domestic violence and recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday, died Friday night. She had announced her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on June 2. Her death prompted the lowering of flags from the Capitol, as is standard protocol for members of Congress.

President Biden is alive and well. He was seen arriving Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for a flight back to Washington after isolating with COVID-19 at his Rehoboth Beach vacation home. According to a White House report, Biden left his motorcade at 1:44 p.m. and when asked about his health, he replied, “I feel good.” He boarded Air Force One shortly afterward. Multiple Associated Press photos documented his presence at the base.

Biden’s last public appearance was Wednesday night, when he arrived at the same base in Dover after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day while campaigning in Las Vegas. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, provided an update on Biden’s health, saying he had completed his 10th dose of the COVID-fighting drug Paxlovid and that his symptoms had almost completely resolved. “His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal,” O’Connor wrote in a memo. “His oxygen saturation remains excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear.”

Biden also announced that he would address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening to discuss future plans and how he plans to “get the job done for the American people.”

Despite these clarifications, the false claims continued, fueled by earlier reports about Biden’s positive COVID-19 test and subsequent self-isolation. On July 21, Biden posted a letter to his X account announcing that he would not seek re-election. The lack of accompanying photos or video led some to speculate about the president’s health. However, the White House quickly released an official statement from Biden’s doctor emphasizing that his COVID-19 symptoms had largely resolved and that he was continuing to perform his presidential duties.

The lowering of the Capitol flag led to further speculation. However, the act was in honor of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, in accordance with the law that states the flag is flown at half-staff on the day of a member of Congress’s death and the day after, and may remain lowered until the day of the funeral.

There has been no official statement from the White House or a credible source announcing President Biden’s death. On the contrary, the White House issued a statement in Biden’s name commenting on the firing of the director of the Secret Service following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

In the event of the death of a president, the U.S. Constitution provides that the vice president assumes the presidency. No such transition has occurred, further confirming that the claims of Biden’s death are baseless.