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By Jasmine Laws
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President Biden took aim at Elon Musk in a social media statement appearing to reference the news that he tested positive for COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the White House released a statement confirming the president's diagnosis, saying he was experiencing "mild symptoms" and will continue to carry out his duties while self-isolating in Delaware.
Shortly after, the president's official account posted on X, "I am sick." The post was quickly followed by a reply that read, "of Elon Musk and his rich buddies trying to buy this election. And if you agree, pitch in here."
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The follow-up message included an image of Musk alongside Donald Trump and a link to Biden's campaign donation site, with the slogan "Defeat Trump."
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Biden's original post has since become a meme. X users are quoting "I'm sick" to joke about things they need an excuse to avoid doing, using a similar format to reveal things they're "sick" of, and making cultural references.
Biden's swipe at Musk comes after the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said he plans to commit around $45 million a month to a new pro-Trump super PAC, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Musk has not yet responded to the jibe publicly on X, and representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
On Saturday, the billionaire entrepreneur publicly endorsed Trump's presidential candidacy on X, writing "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," referencing Trump's injury after he was shot in the ear in a failed assassination attempt during a rally on July 13.
Musk has previously publicly criticized Biden. In April, he described the president as "tragic" and said he "barely knows what's going on." Biden, who is 81, has faced increasing speculation about his cognitive state during the election campaign, most notably after his performance during his first presidential debate against Trump which led to calls for him to step down from the race.
Musk has also launched attacks on Biden's policies on immigration and health, as well as his age.
Following his positive COVID-19 result, Biden canceled an appearance in Las Vegas on Wednesday at a conference hosted by UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. CEO Janet Murguía made the announcement to the attendees that Biden shared "his deep disappointment at not being able to join us."
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed in the official statement that the president is vaccinated and boosted. The president's doctor added, "The President presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorrhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise."
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