Recent viral video clips showing President Joe Biden appearing frail and confused during public events are nothing more than “cheap fakes” connected by “desperate Republicans,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted on Monday, downplaying concerns about the octogenarian executive’s physical and mental condition.
During Monday’s White House press briefing, a reporter asked Jean-Pierre to address whether President Biden’s recent curious on-camera behavior is a source of worry for his staffers.
“There seems to be a rash of videos that have been edited to make the President appear especially frail or mentally confused,” the reporter said. “I’m wondering if the White House is especially worried about the fact that this appears to be a pattern.”
“I think you all have called this the cheap fakes video, and that’s exactly what they are,” Jean-Pierre replied from the podium. “They are cheap fakes video [sic], and they are done in bad faith.”
“And some of your news organizations have, have been very clear, have stressed that these right-wing, the right-wing critics of the president have a credibility problem because of the fact-checkers have repeatedly caught them pushing misinformation, disinformation,” she continued. “And so we see this, and this is something coming from your part of the world, calling them cheap fakes and misinformation.”
The first of the videos in question came during Biden’s visit to Normandy, France earlier this month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day alongside European heads of state. Upon arriving at the venue at Omaha Beach, Biden seemed to look around in utter confusion as he emerged from his vehicle.
Biden arrives at Omaha Beach in his perpetual state of confusion pic.twitter.com/FKgllybpyN
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 6, 2024
During the ceremony, Biden seemed to become confused about when and where he should sit, leaving him hunched over in an awkward half-squat as he searched for a chair. Though First Lady Jill Biden appeared to whisper directions to her husband, the president’s odd stance quickly gave rise to the (likely false) rumor that he had soiled himself on-stage.
Awkward 😬 pic.twitter.com/3KNLco85hj
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 6, 2024
When the ceremony ended, the First Lady promptly escorted Biden away while French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife remained behind to greet the veterans in attendance.
Jill, Ed.D., escorts Joe Biden out as French President Macron stays behind to greet veterans pic.twitter.com/n4rpRgdbv5
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 6, 2024
Then, during last week’s G7 summit in Italy, Biden began to wander away from a group of European dignitaries during a photoshoot. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni eventually intervened and guided Biden back to the group.
WHAT IS BIDEN DOING? pic.twitter.com/iY33K2srII
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 13, 2024
Behind closed doors at the summit, unidentified foreign delegates told various sources that Biden was “the worst he has ever been” and appeared to be “losing focus” during the meeting.
While in Italy, Biden also met with Pope Francis, surprising both the wheelchair*-bound pontifex and a group of bystanders by leaning in close until their foreheads touched.
At a star-studded fundraising event in Los Angeles on Saturday, Biden was seen walking offstage alongside former President Barack Obama, who was guiding his former vice president by the hand.
So embarrassing.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 16, 2024
The Democrats can’t let this go on, surely? pic.twitter.com/ptCtWBbFfh
These recent incidents join countless others in which Biden has been observed losing his train of thought, stumbling while walking, or requiring someone to lead him by the hand.
However, according to Jean-Pierre and other Biden staffers, none of this is a cause for concern but rather reflects the president’s political opponents’ desperation to tarnish his record.
“Ironically several recent cheap fakes actually attack the president for thanking troops,” Jean-Pierre continued on Monday. “That is what they’re attacking the president for, both in Normandy this happened and again in Italy, and I think that it tells you everything that we need to know about how, how desperate, how desperate Republicans are here.
“Instead of talking about the president’s performance in office, and what I mean by that is his legislative wins, what he’s been able to do for the American people across the country, we’re seeing these deep fakes, these manipulated videos. And it is again done in bad faith.”