An image published Thursday by the New York Post purported to show President Joe Biden appearing to "wander off" at the G7 summit announcing a closer security partnership with Ukraine, and having to be "pulled back" by other officials — part of conservative media efforts to characterize Biden as mentally diminished by age and unable to focus on his duties.
But this was deceptive and taken out of context, according to White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates, who said Biden wasn't "wandering" at all.
"The Murdoch outlets are so desperate to distract from @POTUS's record that they just lie," wrote Bates. "Here, they use an artificially narrow frame to hide from viewers that he just saw a skydiving demonstration. He's saying congratulations to one of the divers and giving a thumbs up."
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Bates provided a complete video of the interaction, showing Biden focused on the skydiving.
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"The right has now *ingeniously* attacked Joe BIden with videos of him: Petting hero dogs; Eating ice cream; Respectfully waiting for his wife to get into their vehicle before boarding himself; Liking sky diving," continued Bates. "In other words, being a human."
Voters routinely cite Biden's age and concerns about his fitness for office as a concern about him for a second term. Republicans and their sympathetic figures in the media have leaned into the issue, highlighting any instances they can find of Biden stumbling over his words or showing unfocused posture.
This comes as former President Donald Trump himself faces his own scrutiny over mental fitness, as he rambles and wanders at his rallies. Most recently, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump confused even supportive onlookers with a stream-of-consciousness over whether he'd rather be eaten by a shark or electrocuted by the battery of an electric boat.