VP Joe Biden’s son transferred to Philadelphia hospital after mild stroke

VP Joe Biden’s son has stroke, in Philly hospital

PHILADELPHIA — Vice President Joe Biden’s oldest son has been transferred to a Philadelphia hospital after having a mild stroke.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden had been admitted to Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., on Tuesday morning. Vice presidential spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander says he was transferred later in the day to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia for observation and further tests.

A doctor says the 41-year-old Biden is expected to recover.

Christiana Hospital’s Dr. Timothy Gardner says Biden was in good spirits and was talking with his family. The doctor says in a statement issued through the White House Biden was fully alert and in stable condition and has full motor and speech skills.

Jason Miller, Beau Biden’s spokesman, had no immediate comment.

The vice president’s office said Gardner would not comment beyond the statement and would not take questions.

“The entire Biden family offers its sincerest thanks to the doctors, nurses and staff of the Christiana Care Health System who have provided tremendous care to Beau today,” the statement said.

Beau Biden returned last year from a yearlong deployment to Iraq with his Army National Guard unit. He was a captain and military lawyer in the 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade. He had considered running this year for the Senate seat his father held before becoming vice president, but decided instead to run for re-election as attorney general.

A state trooper was stationed at the main entrance of the Delaware hospital and several black SUVs and men in suits with earpieces were nearby.

Associated Press writers Randall Chase in Newark, Del., Ben Nuckols in Baltimore, Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md., and Nafeesa Syeed and Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report.