Videos of President Biden 'Freezing' or 'Glitching' are 'Cheapfakes,' Claims the White House

The White House on Monday criticized Republicans for spreading purportedly edited videos purported to show President Joe Biden's mental and physical decline, describing the clips as 'cheap fake' for portraying Biden as 'freezing.' The administration accused its opponents of using deceptive editing techniques to misrepresent the president's behavior and condition. "It tells you everything that we need to know about how desperate Republicans are here," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, branding the clips as manipulative and misleading.

One widely shared video allegedly shows Biden wandering away from fellow world leaders while watching a skydiving display during the G7 summit in Italy, as per The Daily Mail. Pierre clarified that the footage was misleadingly edited. "Biden was moving to give a thumbs up to the parachutists," she explained. "This was widely fact-checked ... including by conservative media," she said at a media briefing, adding, "If you run that tape a little bit longer, you would see what was happening."

NBC also debunked the claim earlier in the week by posting footage from another angle, which did show Biden interacting with the parachutists just a few feet away, as per Yahoo! News. As for another clip that depicted Biden standing still as world leaders danced close to him during a concert at the White House, which opponents said showed a state of confusion, Pierre said, "The president stood there listening to the music, and he didn't dance. Excuse me. I did not know not dancing was a health issue."

Biden's main rival in the upcoming November election, presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump, has made Biden's age a central theme in his campaign, positioning himself as a more energetic alternative despite being only three years younger at 78. The winner of the 2024 election will set a new age record for the presidency. Biden is already the oldest person to hold the office, and if Trump wins, he will become the oldest president ever inaugurated.

The series of videos have reignited concerns about Biden's age, an issue Trump has capitalized on during his campaign. Despite some of the videos being deceptively edited, opinion polls suggest that voters are concerned about Biden's age. A New York Times/Siena poll released in March indicated that 73% of registered voters believed Biden was too old to be an effective president, compared to 42% who said the same about Trump as per Al Jazeera. 

Pierre addressed the broader issue of disinformation, emphasizing the need for accurate representation. She said it was disheartening to see the lengths to which some would go to undermine the current POTUS and added, "We should focus on the real issues and accomplishments." The White House's criticism underscores the ongoing battle over public perception as both candidates prepare for the 2024 election. While some of the videos showing Biden appearing frail or confused have been debunked, the narrative around his age and fitness continues to be a significant aspect of the political discourse.