PRESIDENT Joe Biden appeared to freeze on stage again before Barack Obama rushed to his rescue and ushered him away.
The 81-year-old US President was pulled off the stage by his former boss as questions continue to swirl over his health ahead of elections.
XJoe Biden could be seen grinning motionlessly for a few seconds[/caption]
XBarack Obama then tugged the US president by his sleeve to snap him out of his state[/caption]
XThe two politicians walked off the stage together as Obama patted Joe’s back[/caption]
ReutersJoe Biden appeared at Los Angeles theatre for the Democratic Party fundraiser[/caption]
Biden, alongside Obama, appeared at a star-studded fundraiser for the Democratic party on Saturday as he gears up for his re-election campaign.
As they received an ovation from the crowd at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Biden appeared to be motionless as he blankly stared into the distance.
Meanwhile, Obama waved and smiled at the cheering audience before gently tugging the current president by his sleeve.
As if woken up from sleep, Biden suddenly snapped out of his state and walked off the stage, accompanied by the former US leader.
Obama could be seen patting Sleepy Joe on the back as he whispered something in his ear before both disappeared behind the curtains.
This is just one of the latest bizarre incidents which sparked health rumours as Americans are preparing to head to the polls.
It comes just days after elderly Biden wandered off from global powerhouse leaders as they set to get a group photo at the G7 summit.
The worrying footage caught Biden turning his back on fellow world leaders as he appeared static while looking in the completely wrong direction.
He was only shepherded back towards the group, which included the UK’s Rishi Sunak, by Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
Earlier this week, Biden appeared to freeze again for a moment during a Juneteenth celebration at the White House.
Footage shared by the RNC Research group showed Biden grinning while Vice President Kamala Harris and members of George Floyd’s family danced.
He looked zoned out at the event – sparking further concern just months before the presidential election.
Another viral clip showed a tired-looking Biden drinking what looked like Gatorade.
The president then gave a rambling speech which wasn’t coherent at some points.
Is US President in a fit state to lead world?
By Harry Cole, political editor
WE need to talk about Joe Biden.
The White House has been trying to hide it for months, but here in Italy it was clear the elderly leader of the free world is not in a good way.
The annual G7 gathering for once actually achieved more than warm words, but the unprecedented $50billion (£39billion) seizure of Russian assets to aid Ukraine will not be why Puglia ’24 will be remembered.
“It’s the worst he’s ever been,” one seasoned diplomatic source whispered to me yesterday, and the whole world can see it now.
Questions about the lucidity of the most powerful man in the world have been bubbling around for years, but on the eve of the US elections they have exploded.
On the fringes of the summit, hushed discussions are taking place about Biden, 81, and his worrying lack of mental clarity.
Another insider told me that while the President had at times shown sharpness during meetings, he also appeared to display a troubling loss of “focus” and concentration.
But it was the moment that the Italian PM Giorgia Meloni put on a skydiving display for her fellow world leaders on the luxury Borgo Egnazia estate that the penny finally dropped . . .
Has the Commander in Chief gone gaga?
This gem of olive groves on the Adriatic coast, nestled in Italy’s heel, used to be most famous for Justin Timberlake’s 2012 wedding.
Now it could go down in history as the place where the West realised the game was up for Sleepy Joe.
Meloni’s photo op show of unity and military prowess was quickly overshadowed when Biden decided to turn his back on the G7 group as they clapped for each parachute jumper displaying a national flag.
He stood grinning for a few seconds before deciding to shuffle away from the powerful pack.
After taking several small and limbering steps he began to talk to someone and offered them a thumbs-up.
The other leaders stood watching the President with puzzled looks on their faces.
Emmanuel Macron, Rishi Sunak and Giorgia Meloni stared in his direction before catching each other’s eye with a knowing glance.
Quick-thinking Meloni then made a beeline for the President before tugging on Biden’s arm.
By this point the President was facing in the total opposite direction, with his back to everyone else, clearly not sticking to the script.
As if helping a confused elderly relative, Meloni gently shepherded Biden back towards the photographers, as the rest of the G7 leaders all made an obvious movement to surround the befuddled-looking Joe.
As all fixed smiles and looked towards the cameras, Biden then decided to slowly put on his shades.
The White House quickly went into full spin mode, attempting to say a viral video of the moment had been edited.
But they know the truth, and have had to stop their boss walking alone, instead flanking him with aides to try to disguise his physical frailty.
Biden’s stroppy press secretary, Andrew Bates, claimed his boss was simply congratulating a diver on the floor who was collecting his things.
He went on to blame the “desperate” media for using “an artificially narrow frame” to make Biden look bad.
When quizzed, Rishi Sunak tried to put on a brave face yesterday morning, repeating the line that the President was just “being very polite” in thanking the jumpers.
The PM claimed his key ally “just went over to kind of talk to all of them individually”.
He told me: “As far as I know, he went over to talk to some of the parachute jumpers and say thank you or hello to them.”
But the video, from whatever angle you watch it, shows a different story.
And people have eyes, and their own minds, to make up.
“The day reminds us that we have a helluva lot more work to do. Let’s keep marching. Let’s keep the faith,” Biden told the crowds in one moment.
The Democrat’s term has been plagued with gaffes and blunders.
He has fallen up the stairs of Air Force One and has stumbled on countless occasions.
Last year, Biden took a tumble at the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony.
In February, Biden confused the leaders of Mexico and Egypt while delivering a rambling address to the nation after it emerged he wouldn’t face criminal charges over storing secret docs.
Last week, Biden seemed to fumble for his seat while on stage with the Macrons and his wife, Jill, at a D-Day event – but there was no chair behind him.
Doubts are still lingering over Biden’s competency for the second term.
And polling suggests Biden’s re-election bid could be tricky.
ON A KNIFE-EDGE
Real Clear Politics polling suggests Donald Trump would win the election if it were held tomorrow.
Trump has leads over his rival in all seven battleground states that will decide who ends up in the White House.
The brash tycoon leads by more than five points in North Carolina and Nevada.
Trump’s lead is more slender in the likes of Wisconsin and Michigan – states which Biden won in 2020.
Trump has had a polling lead for months – despite the four indictments leveled against him and being convicted of falsifying business documents.
And, Biden’s job approval is lower than what Trump’s, Obama’s, and George W. Bush’s were at this stage of their respective presidencies.
Biden’s approval ratings have not been above water since August 2021.
The vast majority of Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.
ReutersSleepy Joe was saved by his former boss from the embarrassing blunder[/caption]
ReutersThe fundraiser was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and attended by Barack Obama[/caption]
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