US President Joe Biden has started using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine to treat his long-standing sleep apnea, according to the White House. When the 80-year-old Biden left the White House on Wednesday to give an economics speech in Chicago, traces of the CPAP machine could be seen on his face. Similar marks were visible on Biden’s face Monday as he outlined plans to split nearly $42.5 billion to build high-speed Internet networks at a White House event.
“Since 2008, the President has disclosed his history of sleep apnea in extensive medical reports. He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement after Bloomberg News reported on the president’s use of the machine. The use of the device is a new step, but not related to a new disease or anything like that, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified.
Voters doubt Biden’s suitability
According to the National Institutes of Health, CPAP treatment helps improve sleep quality and reduce snoring by keeping the airway open during sleep. Sleep apnea is a common condition in which the airways become blocked during the night, which can reduce airflow.
According to polls, Biden’s age is one of the biggest challenges in his bid for re-election. According to a March Yahoo/YouGov poll, about two-thirds of Americans, including 48% of those who identify themselves as Democrats, think Biden — the oldest president in US history — is too old to serve another term.
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A medical report released by the White House in February admitted that the president has had multiple sinus and nasal passage surgeries and has struggled with congested airways for most of his life. Last year, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also said that Biden experiences coughing fits from time to time and suffers from asthma, which is why he carries an inhaler with him.
Biden has repeatedly attempted to dismiss his age in recent public appearances in regards to his 2024 bid for re-election. “Even if you’re my age, you can’t remember a time when the world moved so fast in terms of what alliances were and where they were,” Biden said at a fundraiser Tuesday night in Maryland to donors.