'The View' co-host Whoopi Goldberg defends President Joe Biden amid his third COVID diagnosis

Whoopi Goldberg is defending President Joe Biden amid his COVID-19 diagnosis − and public calls for him to drop out of the presidential race.

During a panel discussion on Thursday's Hot Topics, Goldberg opened up about sharing a COVID-19 diagnosis with the president, who announced his condition Wednesday after returning to the show from recovery from the illness.

"I'm just getting over COVID – again – and I can barely remember anybody’s name," she said while gesturing towards her co-hosts and joked, "I don't know who they are ... There are times when I go for a word and it’s not there, and I'm just not going to go and decide that’s the problem."

She continued: "If he falls low in this next debate, I'll consider changing my outlook. And if it’s too late it’s too late."

The next presidential debate, per ABC News, is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

After former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin asked her if it was too risky to wait until then, Goldberg responded, "Not to me, because I believe Joe has what it takes to get things done. I believe it."

Biden first tested positive for COVID-19 following an event Wednesday in Las Vegas, Nevada, the White House confirmed.

This is the third time the president has tested positive for the virus. And Biden is not alone: the positivity rates for COVID-19 have been increasing recently, as have visits to the emergency department and deaths.

Biden, 81, is vaccinated and boosted and is "experiencing mild symptoms," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

A majority of cases still come from the latest variant of COVID-19 known as KP.3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC data using the Nowcast data tracker shows that in a two-week period from June 23 to July 6, KP.3 accounts for nearly 37% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Other variants of the virus still account for infections of COVID-19 in the U.S., including KP.2 and "FLiRT."

Contributing: Emily DeLetter