Harris Makes History as First Female Commander-in-Chief -- But Only for a Moment

For the first time in U.S. history, a woman took charge of the U.S. and its military on Friday, but it lasted only briefly.

President Joe Biden transferred his executive powers to Vice President Kamala Harris while he went under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, according to the White House.

The exam was part of the president's annual physical, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. Biden is set to turn 79 years old on Nov. 20, and he is the oldest serving president.

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Harris was elected as the first female vice president in 2020 as Biden’s running mate, and the brief transfer during the medical exam is the first time she -- or any woman -- has stepped in temporarily while the president is incapacitated.

The role, which is typical for vice presidents, includes commander in chief of the armed forces. That means Harris is technically the first woman to oversee all U.S. military forces.

Female candidates have run for president and come close to permanently filling the role. Harris was a presidential contender before taking on the VP role, and Hillary Clinton waged a divisive and ultimately unsuccessful run against former President Donald Trump in 2016.

Trump underwent annual exams during his presidency but apparently never underwent anesthesia or temporarily transferred power to former Vice President Mike Pence. A 2019 trip to Walter Reed for what the White House said was an examination and laboratory work caused a minor controversy over whether Pence had been prepared to take over.

But the process is not unusual. Presidential powers were also transferred when President George W. Bush underwent colonoscopies in 2002 and 2007, briefly passing power to former Vice President Dick Cheney.

The results of Biden’s exam were expected to be released after his trip Friday morning.

“Later this afternoon, the White House will publicly release a written summary of the president’s physical,” Psaki said in a statement.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.