WASHINGTON, USA: The White House on Monday condemned Republicans for circulating videos purportedly showing President Joe Biden in a state of mental and physical decline, labeling the footage as deceptively edited.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described these videos as “cheapfake” and criticized the Republican Party for their desperation.
The controversy arose from several short videos shared by outlets such as the New York Post and official Republican social media accounts. One widely circulated video appeared to show an apparently disoriented Biden wandering away from other world leaders during a G7 summit in Italy.
Jean-Pierre clarified that the footage was misleadingly edited and that Biden was actually moving to give a thumbs up to the parachutists. She emphasized that this was fact-checked by multiple sources, including conservative media, and that a longer version of the tape showed the true context.
NBC further debunked the misleading video by posting footage from a different angle that showed Biden interacting with the parachutists just a few feet away. Another clip shared on social media showed Biden standing still while world leaders danced around him during a concert at the White House.
Critics claimed this indicated confusion on Biden’s part. Jean-Pierre dismissed these claims, stating that Biden was merely listening to the music and did not dance, which should not be considered a health issue.
Over the weekend, the New York Post posted another video that seemed to show Biden getting lost on stage during a fundraising event in California, needing direction from former President Barack Obama. White House spokesman Andrew Bates clarified on X that Biden was waiting on stage to acknowledge the applause from his supporters. Eric Schultz, a senior Obama adviser, also disputed the Post’s narrative by sharing the article and stating that the described events did not happen.
Republican Donald Trump, Biden’s main rival in the upcoming election, has focused on Biden’s age as a key campaign issue, despite being only three years younger. Both Biden and Trump, if elected, would set records for the oldest president at inauguration.
