The Biden administration has accused its opponents of spreading misinformation about the President's physical and mental fitness following a series of viral videos that raised concerns about his age. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking at a news conference on Monday, denounced the videos purportedly showing Biden's decline as deceptively edited or misrepresented.
Jean-Pierre criticized Republican efforts, labeling the circulated clips as "cheapfake" videos, emphasizing the desperation behind their dissemination. Republican social media accounts and conservative media outlets have shared these videos, suggesting they depict Biden, 81, freezing up or wandering off.
One such clip showed Biden seemingly drifting away from other world leaders during a G7 summit skydiving demonstration in Italy. However, versions of the clip shared by right-wing sources were cropped to obscure the parachutist towards whom Biden was walking.
Another widely circulated video showed Biden standing still amidst dancing at a Juneteenth celebration at the White House, prompting Jean-Pierre to comment, "I didn’t know that not dancing was a health issue." She noted that Biden was simply listening to the music, much like others present.
In a recent viral clip, Biden paused for about seven seconds at a fundraising gala before being guided offstage by former President Barack Obama. Deputy White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates criticized Biden's critics for attempting to portray the pause as a negative event, distracting from the President's accomplishments.
Former President Donald Trump, Biden's opponent in the upcoming election, has repeatedly attacked Biden over his age and fitness, despite being only three years younger at 78. Polls indicate voter concerns about Biden's age, although some videos portraying him as frail or confused have been misleadingly edited.
In March, a poll showed that a significant majority of registered voters viewed Biden's age as a concern, while fewer expressed similar concerns about Trump's health.