OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
President Joe Biden embarrassed himself and his administration anew earlier this week during a speech in which he repeated a story nearly verbatim only a few minutes apart, leading to new allegations that his mental status is rapidly deteriorating.
“After briefly touting his economic record, POTUS reflected on his decision to seek the presidency,” a pool report from POLITICO’s Jonathan Lemire, who was traveling with the president on Wednesday, stated after Biden spoke at a fundraiser. “He told the story about the events of Charlottesville in 2017 as the reason for his campaign. A few minutes later, he told the story again, nearly word for word.”
Social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, reacted to the pool report and promoted it as evidence that the 80-year-old president’s age has become a factor, a charge he has faced from both sides of the aisle since taking office, Fox News Digital noted.
“But we aren’t supposed to care about his age and mental state,” wrote National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker on X. “Okey dokey.”
“This is completely fine,” RNC rapid response director Jake Schneider replied sarcastically.
“It’s a lie he memorized in 2019 and has repeated since, ‘veins bulging’ etc,” Breitbart senior editor Joel Pollak noted on the platform.
“This is normal…. Completely normal,” added Republican strategist and former Ted Cruz spokesperson Steve Guest.
“It would be elder abuse if he runs again,” Austin area attorney Adam Loewy responded on X. He then predicted: “He’s not making it to 86.”
But we aren’t supposed to care about his age and mental state. Okey dokey. https://t.co/4DSTU4VKB9
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) September 21, 2023
Biden ignited similar ‘abuse’ calls last month after a video clip of him meeting and greeting two foreign leaders at the Camp David presidential retreat went viral.
The president was there to greet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a summit seen as the U.S. attempting to shore up relationships between both countries amid a rising China.
As the summit opened, a camera focused on Biden, who walked slowly down a pathway to an area in front of the Camp David sign, where he stood for a few moments gesturing as Yoon and Kishida approached to shake his hand.
Biden’s gait looked slow and stiff, leading The Blaze’s X account to label the incident “Elder abuse.”
Elder abuse pic.twitter.com/QcXG4CbuYU
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 18, 2023
Other users joined in as well.
“The audacity of liberals to run this guy again is simply astounding,” one X user wrote.
“He walks like he either just s**t his pants or is trying desperately not to!” another quipped.
“Why is his gait so robotic? lol,” said another.
“And ‘they’ want us to believe he can carry on ANY real conversation w/them?” said yet another user.
Though the White House fiercely pushes back on any suggestion that Biden’s age is catching up with him, the administration has nevertheless made some behind-the-scenes changes to better accommodate and protect him from himself.
After a series of high-profile stumbling and falling on the steps leading up to Air Force Once, the administration has quietly changed Biden’s boarding method, reports said last week.
POLITICO noted in a story headlined, “Biden downplays age talk — but subtle accommodations are being made,” the bizarre appearance of Biden, who recently stepped off Marine One wearing tennis shoes without socks.
“The informality of the president’s wardrobe distracted from something else — something reporters who travel with him have been noticing for some time,” the outlet noted. “Biden boarded using the shorter set of retractable stairs that fold into the belly of the plane. The routine began a few months ago, the president increasingly avoiding the grander, more traditional doorway near the front of the aircraft on the main passenger level, higher above the tarmac.”
