Joe Biden, 82, winces as he coughs through remarks on labor policies

President Joe Biden coughed and cleared his throat repeatedly during remarks at the Labor Department Monday, apologizing himself to the crowd.

“Excuse me, I have a bit of a cold,” he said.

The president has been dealing with this cold for almost two weeks. In a major economic speech last week, he huffed and coughed his way through those comments. At one point he pulled takes out a wad of tissues to blow his nose.

He then said he had a cold.

Persistent colds can be dangerous for the elderly. At 82 years old, Biden is the oldest president in American history.

And mild colds can take a toll on seniors and cause secondary illnesses such as pneumonia.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most deaths from respiratory viruses occur in people over age 65, with the risk increasing sharply with age.

Doctors recommend seeking medical attention if a cold lasts more than seven to 10 days, as it could be a sign of a bacterial infection and antibiotics may be needed.

Biden was at the Department of Labor to sign a proclamation establishing a national monument in honor of the late FDR-era Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman appointed to serve in a presidential Cabinet serve and a driving force behind the New Deal.

When the president talked about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he accidentally said “Trump” instead of Roosevelt.

“Freudian slip of the tongue,” he cracked as the audience erupted in laughter.

As Secretary of Labor, Perkins helped President Roosevelt formulate the policies behind the New Deal of the 1930s and create safeguards in the national economy after the Great Depression.

During her twelve years as Roosevelt’s labor secretary, she was credited with helping create the Social Security Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the National Labor Relations Act, which established workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively.

She also played a crucial role in reforming labor law in the United States, most notably banning child labor, creating Social Security, unemployment insurance, and a minimum wage, and instituting a 40-hour work week.

Perkins and her family had deep roots in Newcastle, Maine, where she was buried after her death in 1965.

The monument would be erected on her family’s farm.

The property features a brick house and barns on 27 acres of land along the Damariscotta River. The designation transfers management of the property to the National Park Service.

President Joe Biden receives a plaque from Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su during an event at the U.S. Department of Labor

Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins talks to reporters in November 1945

During Monday’s event, Biden was also named to the Labor Hall of Honor.

In his remarks, he noted that his wife Jill Biden is a member of a union. The first lady, a longtime teacher, is a member of the United Federation of Teachers.

As president, Biden has bragged about his pro-union record.

“I’m damn proud to be known as the most pro-labor government in American history, because that’s what we are,” he said.

He has been called the most pro-labor president since FDR.

He was the first president to join a picket line when he met with striking auto workers in Michigan last year.