White House slams Republicans over deceptive 'cheapfake' videos of Biden's alleged mental decline

A day after a video that showed 81-year-old United States President Joe Biden seemingly freeze on stage, his former boss Barack Obama jumping in to save the day, the White House has slammed Republicans for spreading "cheapfake" videos that purport to show Biden in a state of mental and physical decline.

Deceptive videos

In a statement on Monday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred to these videos as "cheapfake" and emphasised that they were deceptively edited to mislead viewers.

"It tells you everything that we need to know about how desperate Republicans are here," said Jean-Pierre.

Recent clips shared by multiple media outletsand Republican social media accounts include one from the G7 summit in Italy, where Biden appears disoriented. Jean-Pierre clarified that the footage was edited to omit Biden's interaction with parachutists, which involved giving them a thumbs up. This claim was also debunked by NBC, who provided alternative footage showing Biden engaging with the skydivers.

"This was widely fact-checked… including by conservative media," said the press secretary, adding, "if you run that tape a little bit longer than you'd see … what was happening."

Another clip showed Biden standing still while other world leaders danced during a White House concert. Jean-Pierre defended Biden, stating that standing and listening to music should not be interpreted as a health issue.

Additionally, a recent video from a California fundraiser showsBiden seeminglylost on stage until directed by former president Barack Obama. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates explained on X that Biden was merely appreciating the audience's applause.

Age shaming?

Republican Donald Trump, who is just threeyears younger than Joe Biden at 78, has been using the President's age to attack him and raise questions about his mental agility.

Theparty has been using the octogenarian's advanced age to raise questions on Biden's mental state, fitness for another term in the White House, and his fitness to lead the Western power.

Whoever wins the upcoming November 2024 elections stands to become the oldest president inaugurated — 78 years or 81 years. Biden currently holds the record as the oldest man to serve the US office.

(With inputs from agencies)