Obama & WH Respond To New York Post Report
When the cameras caught President Joe Biden at the end of his conversation with former President Barack Obama at a fundraiser in Los Angeles, many were left scratching their heads. Biden appeared to stand motionless, prompting Obama to take his hand and guide him away. For some, this moment seemed all too familiar, reminiscent of a similar incident during a Juneteenth celebration. As the two men walked off the stage, the contrast between their behaviors was stark, leaving onlookers concerned.
Critics like Nick Arama from RedState voiced their discomfort, suggesting that this behavior is far from normal. It’s alarming, they argue, that the crowd continued to applaud, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness of the situation. To them, Biden’s apparent daze is a troubling sign.
Biden freezes before Obama grabs his arm and leads him off stage. Yikes! 😳 pic.twitter.com/nCgAGitoQ6
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 16, 2024
The White House and Obama’s team were quick to dismiss these concerns. Eric Shultz, a senior adviser to Obama, took to social media to deny any unusual behavior. Andrew Bates, Biden’s senior deputy press secretary, responded to the New York Post with a sharp rebuttal, accusing the outlet of distorting the truth. Bates highlighted the Post’s history of controversial reporting, including the Hunter Biden laptop story, and accused them of exploiting the president’s moment of pause to mislead the public.
The term “cheap fakes” has surfaced from the Biden administration, a play on “deep fakes” that implies deceptive editing tactics used by right-wing media. The controversy escalated following Biden’s less-than-stellar appearances at the D-Day and G7 events. The Washington Post reported that Republicans edited videos from these events to exaggerate Biden’s missteps, portraying him as confused and frail.
this did not happen https://t.co/QAPOCla3Sq
— Eric Schultz (@EricSchultz) June 16, 2024
Critics argue that regardless of editing, the raw footage paints a concerning picture of Biden’s mental state. They feel that while the administration tries to downplay these moments as misrepresented, the public sees a president who seems increasingly disconnected.
The amount of drugs they are going to have to pump into him for the debate is unfathomable. pic.twitter.com/Fzf8Yx7nxO
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) June 13, 2024
As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the American people are paying close attention. Whether through unaltered footage or edited clips, voters are forming their own opinions about Biden’s capacity to lead. In an era where perception often outweighs reality, the true impact of these incidents on public opinion remains to be seen.