Once again, U.S. President Joe Biden "froze" for several seconds during a fundraising event in Los Angeles on Saturday night, attended by Hollywood stars. In detail, a video that went viral on social media shows former President Barack Obama with Biden on stage as they bid farewell to guests at the end of the event, according to local media. "That’s a wrap on record-setting Democratic fundraiser for Joe Biden’s reelection campaign (netting $28M). Former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden offer final waves to the Peacock Theater crowd as Obama then grabs Biden’s hand to lead him offstage following 40-minute…". However, at the moment Obama waved his hand to signal their exit, Biden stood frozen with a broad smile on his face for several seconds, prompting Obama to grasp his wrist to escort him offstage.
The footage, shared by Chris Gardner from Hollywood Reporter on the platform "X" for the first time on Sunday, sparked widespread criticism. Popular accounts on social media shared the video, with one commenter saying, "Biden froze again last night and had to leave with Obama. Is that normal?" Meanwhile, British journalist Piers Morgan wrote, "This is incredibly embarrassing. The Democrats cannot let this continue, can they?"
On the other hand, Rufus Gifford, the finance chairman for the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign, denied accusations that Biden "froze" on his account on the platform "X" yesterday, stating, "Nothing close to that actually happened." It is worth noting that Biden had appeared frozen for several seconds during an event at the White House last Monday. In the video, it seemed like he froze before stumbling briefly over his words during an event commemorating the anniversary of Juneteenth. He stood still while people cheered around him at a concert. Later, when delivering a speech about Juneteenth, he stumbled over a few words that were difficult to understand audibly.
This comes at a time when polls show widespread concern regarding Biden’s mental health as he aims for a second presidential term against his opponent Donald Trump.
