Biden Spoke About Unemployment During Fundraiser
President Joe Biden appeared notably disjointed during his remarks at an event on Sunday, prompting visible astonishment from former President Barack Obama in a recently surfaced video clip from their high-profile Los Angeles fundraiser.
The event, aimed at drumming up support for Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign, inadvertently highlighted a series of verbal missteps from Biden that have fueled critiques about his fitness for office.
During his address, Biden made a confusing remark about the nation’s unemployment rates, initially claiming, “We have the highest unemployment” in 50 years, before quickly correcting himself to highlight a record low unemployment rate. This slip, coupled with his awkward phrasing about job descriptions, was met with a bewildered expression from Obama, captured vividly on camera.
The fundraiser, which also featured celebrity moderator Jimmy Kimmel and raised over $30 million for Biden’s campaign, was intended to highlight the successes of the current administration and the critical nature of the upcoming election. However, Biden’s rambling and the viral clip of Obama’s reaction have overshadowed the event’s achievements, providing ammunition for Republicans and social media users to question Biden’s clarity and capability.
The official transcript of Biden's speech at the fundraiser. Holy hell. pic.twitter.com/78Vn68pwcS
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“Institutions matter. What he did on January 6th, and now he’s literally saying if he doesn’t win there’ll be a bloodbath. It’s outrageous… what he’s talking about is outrageous,” Biden said. “The idea that he’s actually threatened retribution. This is the United States of America. Did you ever think you’d ever, ever, ever hear anything like this?”
After the event, Obama was forced to escort his former vice president off stage when Biden froze up while attending the fundraiser with Hollywood elites. As the trio stood up to acknowledge a round of applause from the crowd, Biden appeared to freeze up once again as he gazed into the seats for about 10 seconds. Obama could then be seen grabbing Biden’s wrist before leading him off stage, keeping his hand around his shoulder for the entire walk.
This latest incident comes just days after Biden was caught staring into space while meeting with world leaders at the G7 summit in Italy. During a military flyover, Biden unexpectedly began to wander away from the group. He was briefly engaged in a conversation with an individual who was packing away equipment, appearing oblivious to the orchestrated activities planned for the leaders. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, much like former President Obama, was then forced to grab hold of the leader of the free world and escort him back to the group.
Biden also had another bizarre moment while meeting with Pope Francis earlier this week. The president could be seen leaning over while greeting the wheelchair-bound pope before pressing his forehead on Francis’s. The pope appeared extremely confused before he was wheeled away.
Biden currently trails Trump in a close race that has remained stagnant for months, with these recent public gaffes adding to the ongoing scrutiny of his capacity to lead.