Biden's throat clearing and coughing was a tad worrying today as he spoke.

[Stinky The Clown]

I do hope he is okay. Just tuning in, but does anyone know what was up with that?

[StarfishSaver]

1. He was hoarse

It happens.

[demtenjeep]

2. I had the same issue during my last hour class today. I lectured most of the day

also since we are online / remote my eyes are so out of focus tonight I can hardly see without making my screen bigger

[WVreaper]

3. He is a stutterer

it is his way of not stuttering. Take a breath. Clear you throat.

[Roland99]

41. No. That's not to stop stuttering

Did you not hear him speak?

Probably some post-nasal drip or winter cold but he was certainly congested

[moof]

4. He is a big Ice Cream fan

maybe he had a cone too close to the speech.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Honestly, that is the best description of how he sounded.

[wishstar]

6. Hope it's just winter sinus drainage like I am having now causing throat clearing and cough

In fact I just took a Claritin for my sinuses.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. I have a similar affliction except it is year round.

[blitzen]

14. Same here. And that's what it seemed like. n/t

[Rebl2]

24. Same here

Year around sinus drainage. At times I have terrible coughing fits from it.

[StarryNite]

26. Same here.

I've been clearing my throat like that for a few days now. My throat isn't a bit sore. It just gets that crap in it.

[Blue_playwright]

10. Claritin day for me, too!

[RobinA]

17. I've Been Trying

to lay off the OTC meds, but after a three day headache I finally said enough and downed two Sudafed today.

[Lugnut]

36. My sinuses are a mess right now.

My allergy season lasts all year anymore. It's too dry in our house.

[Blue Owl]

8. It's dry this time of year

[MustLoveBeagles]

9. The weather has turned cold and dry recently

It could be that or maybe he just got a tickle in his throat.

[hlthe2b]

40. Yes... Indoor heated air (sans radiators) is inherently drying. Many develop a reactive cough

and throat irritation without a humidifier until they get accustomed to it.

[LisaL]

11. Could just be postnasal drip.

No big deal.

[dawg day]

12. i was really congested today too.

And in this time of Covid, people look askance at the coughing. I keep saying, "Allergies! Really!"

This is what I get for dusting the furniture yesterday. I am ALLERGIC to housework!

[cheezmaka]

19. You're right

Happens all the time in public speaking...

[MerryBlooms]

15. I have terrible allergies this time of year to fresh Christmas greens.

I had to give up fresh cut trees, swags, etc... Because my allergies just became too intense. I was looking at fresh wreaths with my sister the other day, and just from handling them, within 15 minutes, I had horrible itching on the top of my hands and then mild blistering. My nose running, eyes watering and was having to clear my throat constantly. I had mad the mistake of moving my hair from my neck, the sap or whatever from the fresh greens, turned my neck bright red. I came home and cleaned myself with alcohol and then washed thoroughly in a cool shower. I know my allergies are partly from the greens, but also the mold spores. President Biden sounded just like me after just a few minutes of my allergies kicking in.

[Talitha]

16. The same thing happens to me for about an hour after I eat.

It's always been like that.

Way back in high school -wayyyyy back - the chorus Teacher instructed us NOT to eat anything for 3 hours prior to evening concerts because we'd sound 'phlemmy'. And she was right.

[RussBLib]

18. I'm sure it will be twisted

...into something nefarious. These guys don't miss a beat with their conspiracy theories these days.

[doc03]

20. Did you ever hear of a frog in your throat, that's all it was. He couldn't' hardly cough it up and

spit a lugie on the podium on world wide TV..

The Orange dickwad sniffs when he speaks.

[Stinky The Clown]

31. Wow, why cop that 'tude, dude?

For the record, Yes, I am very aware of throat frogs.





jeeeeze . . . . . .

[crimycarny]

21. It wasn't a cough, it was clearing his throat

It sounded much more like when you get something stuck in your throat, not a cough. If he hadn’t been speaking he could have drank a glass of water and waited a couple of minutes until it went away.

Here’s the thing, vaccines went out today and I’m sure the President Elect would be in the first wave, so I’m sure we won’t have to worry for much longer...

[IsItJustMe]

35. That's what I was thinking. Give that man a glass of water. Usually that's all it takes.

[crimycarny]

39. Pre COVID, would we have thought twice about this?

No! I swear every movie I watch that was done before COVID I can’t help but marvel at people crowded at a baseball game, or a bar, or ANYTHING! It’s such a bizarre and paranoid reality we live in now (well, at least I’m a bit paranoid). Now anyone has a frog in their throat we fear the worst. I will be so glad when I don’t have to think of everything in terms of COVID.

I think 12:01 am on January 1, 2021 I will run naked through our backyard, drinking tequila shots !! Goodbye 2020!!!

[IsItJustMe]

46. LOL

I think I may be a little more cautious (paranoid) than you. I will wait until January 20th. But yeah, sounds like and excellent idea. Ready to leave this jacked up reality behind, at least to some extent. Tired of worrying that every time my throat gets a little soar it may be something more serious. Between t**** and covid, it has been like living in an episode of the Twilight Zone. You are not alone.

[joshcryer]

37. Yeah, he clearly had a throat itch.

They should've sent someone out with a bottle of water but we know the optics on that. He could've cleared it but that also would've looked bad, him doing a big cough and spit. I think that was a good potential move though because it would've made Trumpers respect him. Cough, spit, drop a one liner. But it's whatever.

[Rebl2]

22. I am

sure he has been talking a lot the last several days. If he has been around people he no doubt had a mask on and may speak louder because of it. Probably hard on the throat. Talking a lot will tend to make you hoarse and clear your throat/cough. Happened with my husband all the time when he had to talk over loud machinery.

[Tree-Hugger]

23. This is gross, but...

...it sounded like he had phlegm stuck on his throat. He ckeared his throat the first time, but I think that lef to more of a tickle. I'be had the same happen to me .... always when I am speaking to soneone or when I'm out in public. :/

[frazzled]

25. Just phlegm in his throat

I didn't hear him coughing. He kept trying to clear his throat. Probably too much talking, or maybe a bit of a cold that lodged in his throat/chest. He didn’t seem the least bit sick.

[StarryNite]

27. No, he didn't seem sick at all.

To me it seemed more like allergies. I have that now too.

[nolabear]

28. What's up is we're all goosey af.

I don’t blame you. The stakes are so high. Every illness is terrifying. The damned reaper is loose upon the land.

I think he’s just hoarse.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

29. It is wonderful to worry about a President's health instead of worrying about a nation's survival.

[Sogo]

30. I was on a "thank you" call with PE Biden, VPE Harris and thousands

of volunteers and small donors earlier this evening. It was after his talk, and when he started with the throat clearing, he said, excuse me, I have a bit of a cold. His words....

[DeminPennswoods]

43. Thanks

I'm sure Biden and Harris are being tested daily for covid19.

[electric_blue68]

32. For you Sinus Infection sufferers (I've been one)...

I know some of you will scoff about my suggestion but at least listen to my long time experiences and a doctor studying a particular effect.

I used to get 3 - 4 or so long, nasty, gobby sinus infections a years. The kind that in college the professor would say "are sure you don't want to go home" one memorably bad one.
In my 30's I finally started to do steaming 👍, that helped along with taking 1 gram (1,000 miligrams) Vit C/day, shorter round of symptoms, and if I caught my symptoms right off I'd take 1 gram and very 1 - 2 hours up to ?8 - 10 a day. Usually that would make it go away completely!

But I'd still get around 2/yr.

So next round was (dun, dun, duuun)... homeothopy.

I had already been eating mostly healthy before that. So no change there. But those same early symptoms... take up to 3 or is it 5 sets of doses within a 24 hr. Either it reduced length and severity, OR made it go away.

Here is a doctor an MD reaeaecher who studies the Plecebo Effect. Believe it or not he says that even if a patient knows about the effect - most of them get better, or well with the plecebos.
So what do you (except those in the bad to worst economic straits) have to lose - a few bucks? Consider it! 🙂

The rest of you all are open to it, or use some.
But you might not know this one -

Boiron's - Sinusalia .

In the past 10 yrs overall I've had 1/yr, but in the past 3 1/2 yrs I've had one every 1 1/2 yrs or so. This despite especially these past 9 months, drinking a lot more soda, more cookies.

Hope this'll help! 🙂

[MustLoveBeagles]

33. Thank you for the suggestions

[Rice4VP]

34. Why? He literally does that all of the time he speaks

[Historic NY]

38. When I wear my mask for extended periods I get dry

It's important to hydrate, lessens the tickle . Note I have that chronic winter-summer nasally condition, it is allergies my Dr gave me a new nasal spray that really helps. Its the drip down the back of the throat.

[ProfessorGAC]

42. Sounded Like Laryngitis To Me

I've had it a few times. A couple times it was after playing a 3 nighter, singing 35-40 songs a night.
No pain, but hoarse and the inflamed larynx makes it feel like a grain of sand is stuck in the throat.
The shallow cough & clearing is a reflex action because of that feeling something is stuck there.
It didn't sound like he was struggling to push air, like a respiratory illness.
Just a weaker than normal voice because the throat isn't cooperating.

[mtnsnake]

44. There was nothing worrying about it. He was working on clearing a single annoying loogie

and you could tell he finally got it cleared out of the way and sent it packing down into his gut. He was fine after that. There was no coughing involved the whole time.

[Happy Hoosier]

45. Relax... it happens.

He’s fine. He had a frog in his throat he couldn’t shake loose.

[treestar]

47. Spend some time in Delaware

It is the allergy capital of the world. You'll be doing the same.