BETHESDA, Md. — The White House says President Joe Biden briefly transferred power to Vice President Kamala Harris Friday while he underwent a “routine colonoscopy” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Early on Friday afternoon, White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that the procedure was complete and that Biden had "resumed his duties." She added that the president was in "good spirits."
Harris' brief time as acting commander-in-chief marked the first time in U.S. history that a woman had assumed the power of the presidency.
The procedure on Friday at Walter Reed was part of Biden's first routine physical as president.
The 78-year-old Biden is the oldest person to serve as president.
Biden had his last full exam in December 2019. Doctors reported then that the former vice president was “healthy, vigorous” and “fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency."
Biden’s primary care physician since 2009, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, wrote in a note that the then-presidential candidate was in overall good shape.
