A video clip circulating on social media is providing fresh ammunition for conservatives to raise doubts about 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s mental acuity heading into the razor tight 2024 presidential election, where he’s facing a rematch against former President Donald Trump.
The footage, shared by several right-wing accounts on Twitter (now X), shows Biden with his eyes closed for an extended period during the Memorial Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.
“Look Biden’s sleeping. His eyes have been closed for about 30 seconds,” an unidentified woman’s voice states while zooming in on the president during a television broadcast. “He’s going to drool—wake up Biden!”
The video racked up millions of views as it was amplified by prominent conservative personalities like Graham Allen, who declared “Biden was literally sleeping during a MEMORIAL DAY ceremony. DISGUSTING.”
Commentator Ian Miles Cheong asked simply, “Biden fell asleep at the Memorial Day address. What in the world is wrong with him?”
Trump supporters seized on the circulated clip to revive the “Sleepy Joe” nickname and contrast it with Trump being blasted by the mainstream media during his Manhattan trial.
Trump pushed back on allegations he was sleeping during breaks in his ongoing hush money trial.
“The amount of c**p Trump got about sitting in court, we will never see this in the media, this guy is sleeping in Memorial Day. Unreal,” one viral tweet read.
The 77-year-old Trump has made Biden’s cognitive struggles a central line of attack as he lays the groundwork for an anticipated 2024 rematch against the elderly president.
There has been no official response yet from the White House about Biden’s viral sleeping video. Before the incident, Biden gave a short but solemn speech at Arlington about honoring America’s fallen heroes as the driving “idea of the United States.”
He talked about the nation’s “battle between autocracy and democracy” while paying respects to the fallen.
For Biden’s critics, the perceived image of the president nodding off during such patriotic ceremonial duties is certain to fuel escalating attacks on his fitness for office at an advanced age.
Take a look and decide for yourself —
The amount of crap Trump got about sitting in court, we will never see this in the media, this guy is sleeping in Memorial Day.
Unreal 😡 pic.twitter.com/CIvz7b36sB
— 1776 (@TheWakeninq) May 27, 2024