Confused President Biden Stirs Controversy with Onstage Confusion
Published on Feb. 12, 2024, 11:53 p.m. ET
Politics
By Victor Nava
Unsettled Stage Presence
A confused-looking President Biden paced back and forth behind King Abdullah II of Jordan Monday, apparently unsure of where to stand ahead of the royal’s remarks.
“Your majesty, over to you,” Biden, 81, told the king after welcoming him to the White House.
As Abdullah prepared to deliver his speech, the president shuffled around behind him and the podium, gazing down at the floor as if looking for a mark indicating the proper place for him to stand.
Biden waffled between two different spots before settling on what was initially his first choice, to Abdullah’s left side and in front of the Jordanian flag.
The president’s indecision appeared to throw off the king, who at one point looked over his left shoulder expecting to see Biden but he wasn’t there.
“I switched sides on you,” Biden said, before moving over to the left side of the now smiling king.
President’s Declining Mental Acuity
Biden’s latest episode of onstage confusion comes days after the release of the Hur report, in which special counsel Robert Hur avoided recommending criminal charges against the president related to his handling of classified White House documents, partly due to concerns over Biden’s “elderly man with a poor memory” portrayal.
Biden’s memory lapses during the investigation included his inability to recall the years he served as Barack Obama’s vice president and when his late son Beau Biden passed away.
RNC Research, a Twitter account operated by the Republican National Committee, promptly shared the video highlighting the gaffe and asking, “What am I doing? Where am I going?”
As expected, Biden’s critics wasted no time. “The world is laughing at US,” wrote Andrew Giuliani, a former Trump administration official, on Twitter.
Others took aim at the Democrats for “rolling [Biden] out there,” expressing concern for the President’s mental state and labeling it “elder abuse.”
However, some social media users defended Biden, attributing his confusion to the search for a camera marker on the floor to ensure the correct camera angle.
Institutional Concerns
Public opinion polls over the past year consistently highlight large majorities expressing concern regarding Biden’s mental fitness for office.
An ABC News/Ipsos poll, conducted after the Hur report’s release, revealed that a whopping 86% of Americans believe Biden is “too old” to be president. This figure is significantly higher compared to 62% for former President Donald Trump, 77, who is expected to challenge Biden in the upcoming November election.
It’s yet to be seen how Biden’s onstage confusion and the implications of the Hur report will unfold as the election draws nearer.
