A doctor has ordered former Vice President and 2020 hopeful Joe Biden not to travel to Springfield, Illinois to appear at the Illinois State Fair Democrat Day event on Thursday.
Biden was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the event in support of Democrat gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker, who is running against incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
In a statement released Tuesday evening, Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association president Doug House said Biden will miss the event due to being under “doctor’s orders not to travel.”
“Everyone who knows Vice President Biden knows that he gives our party and our country his all, but unfortunately he is sick and is under doctor’s orders not to travel,” House said. “The cancellation is of course disappointing, but it is clear that the circumstances are simply unavoidable. We all hope he gets well soon and I’m sure he’ll be back campaigning for Democrats in Illinois and across the country in no time.”
Biden, who is reportedly tinkering with running for the White House in 2020, is polling well among fellow Democrats when it comes to a possible presidential run. A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll shows Biden with 32 percent of the support, while two-time failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton came in at a distant second place with 18 percent. Sens Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) received 16 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
President Donald Trump said in July he would welcome Biden jumping into the race.
“I dream about Biden,” the president told CBS News’ Jeff Glor. “That’s a dream. Look, Joe Biden ran three times. He never got more than 1%, and President Obama took him out of the garbage heap, and everybody was shocked that he did. I’d love to have it be Biden.”
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