Biden was deathly pale... Air Force One was flying so fast I felt sick: Daily Mail's reporter on board reveals the incredible inside story of the mad rush to get Joe to Covid isolation - and why she feared for him

Air Force One was flying truthful accelerated that I was shaking successful my seat.

Less than 30 minutes ago, my colleagues successful nan White House property corps and I had received connection – conscionable earlier nan remainder of nan world – that President Biden had been diagnosed pinch COVID.

Now we were joining him connected a huffy unreserved backmost from Las Vegas to nan Bidens' Rehoboth Beach getaway successful Delaware.

Moments aft fastening my seatbelt, nan monolithic engines of nan statesmanlike Boeing 747 roared to life.

The formation attendants, successful their civilization bluish uniforms, stumbled successful nan aisles arsenic nan jet's chemoreceptor pointed skyward.

Tray tables shook. Reporters held up their h2o glasses truthful they wouldn't spill.

Most concerning, though, was that we had nary thought what was going on.

For information reasons, location is nary Wi-Fi connected Air Force One, truthful we were trim disconnected from nan extracurricular world.

A expert ever travels pinch nan President, but nary connection came connected nan type of attraction he was receiving aliases really sick he was.

Twice, we asked White House property caput Karine Jean-Pierre, who was besides onboard, to springiness america an update connected Biden's condition.

Twice, we were denied.

Even if she had spoken to us, location would person been nary measurement to cognize what was coming.

That nan president wouldn't beryllium seen again successful nationalist for astir a week.

And that successful little than 4 days' time, his 52-year profession successful authorities would come to a melodramatic end.

After all, Biden's week had begun connected a precocious note.

On Monday, July 15, contempt escalating calls from wrong nan Democratic party for nan president to discontinue nan 2024 race, he appeared to beryllium successful a jovial temper erstwhile he arrived successful nan day astatine Joint Base Andrews, extracurricular of Washington DC.

I was opinionated pinch nan property excavation – reporters from much than a twelve media organizations – waiting for him connected nan tarmac.

As he disembarked his helicopter, Marine One, I waved and beckoned for him to travel return our questions.

To my surprise, he did, breaking into his characteristic, stiff half-jog.

This would beryllium nan first clip he'd spoken to america since nan attempted assassination of Donald Trump 2 days prior.

'What's your question,' Biden asked me.

'Do you spot your Secret Service detail?' I replied.

'Yes, I do,' he responded.

'What's your sentiment of J.D. Vance,' asked another.

A Trump 'clone', he said.

And pinch that, Biden walked off, boarding Air Force One for a formation to Vegas wherever he was owed to reside some nan yearly civilian authorities NAACP National Convention — and nan Hispanic UnidosUS conference.

The adjacent time (Tuesday), nan President delivered 1 of his much awesome teleprompter speeches astatine nan NAACP convention.

It was nan type of arena that, his supporters said, proved his capacity to conflict and triumph against Trump successful November.

But by Wednesday astatine noon, it was a dramatically different story.

The President was moving astir an hr down schedule.

This wasn't unusual. He's habitually late.

Eventually, he departed nan Waldorf Astoria hotel, wherever he had been staying, getting into his armored limousine, nan Beast, successful an underground car shed and retired of show of reporters.

Vans carrying nan property corps joined nan president's 20-plus car motorcade and we arrived astatine Lindo Michoacan, a celebrated Mexican edifice successful downtown Vegas.

I checked my watch, it was 1.09pm section time.

We were past ushered wrong up of nan president to seizure his arrival.

Biden would participate done nan kitchen, we were told. Photographers had their cameras ready, wanting to seizure a stylish photograph of nan president framed successful nan solid model of nan doorway betwixt nan room and eating room.

But suddenly, nan Secret Service covered nan model pinch a towel.

'Hey,' we yelled astatine nan agents. But they didn't listen. Why they wanted to artifact that circumstantial shot, erstwhile Biden would beryllium pictured moments later successful nan eating room regardless, we still don't know.

When he yet stepped done nan door, his quality was shocking.

He looked pale, weak, exhausted and shuffled slow crossed nan room.

'He looks bad,' 1 newsman muttered.

We each agreed.

Biden greeted nan patrons, shaking hands pinch families astatine 3 different tables and posing for selfies.

He past sat astatine a booth and chatted pinch a fewer customers.

Sensing an opening, reporters shouted questions astir California Rep. Adam Schiff, a adjacent state of erstwhile Speaker Nancy Pelosi and nan latest Democrat to telephone connected Biden to exit nan statesmanlike race.

But White House unit instantly shouted america down.

'Thank you, press,' they yelled back, earlier shuffling america retired of nan room and backmost to our vans successful nan parking lot.

There we'd beryllium while Biden conducted a power question and reply scheduled to return astir 20 minutes. So, we sewage burritos and waited... and waited… and waited.

30 minutes passed. 60 minutes turned into 90 .

Secret Service agents, acrophobic that our vans would overheat successful nan searing Vegas sun, popped unfastened nan hoods of our vehicles which were moving nan aerial conditioning connected afloat blast.

We many times asked astir nan hold – but received nary updates.

It's precisely this deficiency of connection that breeds suspicions among reporters — arsenic good arsenic chaotic conspiracies astir nan president's wellness connected societal media and elsewhere.

Finally, a workfellow sewage upwind of a tip.

The president's adjacent scheduled arena astatine UnidosUS had been canceled.

'Biden has COVID,' my workfellow shouted.

Moments later, we could spot Karine Jean-Pierre and different elder Biden unit piling into their vans.

But nan Beast was sheltered nether a elephantine shelter – which is, to beryllium wholly transparent, normal protocol – meaning we couldn't drawback a glimpse of nan sick president.

At 3.10pm, nan motorcade yet started rolling.

We weren't told wherever we were going – but location was only 1 apt destination: nan airport.

At 3.12pm, an charismatic connection from Jean-Pierre deed our inboxes.

'President Biden tested affirmative for COVID-19. He will beryllium returning to Delaware wherever he will self-isolate and will proceed to transportation retired each his duties afloat during that time,' nan email read.

The motorcade raced done quiet streets, sirens blaring and lights flashing.

'Just go,' we called retired to our driver arsenic we arrived astatine Harry Reid International Airport. We each pushed our measurement retired of nan van and ran to get adjacent to Air Force One.

The Secret Service held america backmost arsenic Biden stepped retired of nan Beast, six unit and agents forming a circle astir him.

'How are you feeling, sir?' we yelled.

He gave a thumbs-up: 'I consciousness good!'

But arsenic he walked slow towards nan plane, we knew that wasn't nan case.

The president inched up nan shortened gangway — built-in stairs adjacent nan beforehand of nan level that he's been utilizing alternatively of nan traditional, longer staircase for much than a twelvemonth now.

Once he was connected board, we reporters rushed to find our seats successful nan backmost of nan plane.

And astir from nan infinitesimal we lifted disconnected nan runway, nan fuselage began to shake.

It's not wholly uncommon for Air Force One pilots to driblet nan hammer.

President Trump routinely asked his unit to trim down formation times by going faster. But this break-neck velocity was different for President Biden.

Our tray tables trembled arsenic meal was served. Water glasses slid around. Bags stowed nether seats slammed into people's legs.

I could physically consciousness nan velocity of nan craft arsenic we hurtled done nan air, pushing maine back. I felt nauseous.

We were fed steak and potatoes but nary information. Despite our requests and our deficiency of net access, nary elder staffer came backmost to little america connected nan latest developments.

The normal formation clip from Vegas to Delaware is astir 4 and a half hours. We made nan travel successful 3 hours and 48 minutes.

Our destination was Dover Air Force Base — nan closest suitable airdrome to Biden's Rehoboth home.

Touching down, we rushed into position erstwhile much connected nan tarmac to watch nan president deplane. And arsenic nan steps of Air Force One were lowered, we waited anxiously nether nan wing.

He began his exit astatine 10:29pm (EST), still looking ray and frail. He stepped down gingerly, past paused and waved.

Half measurement down, and for a fewer seconds, he stared disconnected into space, until a Secret Service supplier mildly tapped his shoulder.

The touch seemed to rouse him and he continued down, appearing truthful unsteady that I was worried he would fall.

But he sluggishly made it to his SUV and shakily climbed wrong for nan hour-long thrust to Rehoboth.

I re-boarded Air Force One for a formation backmost to Joint Base Andrews.

In small much than 72 hours, nan president would denote from his formation location — successful a elemental tweeted missive — that he was withdrawing from nan 2024 predetermination race.