In order to create the impression that the 81-year-old US President is infirm just before this year’s November election, Republicans have released misleading videos of Biden on various online platforms which were out of context as characterized by the White House. Such are bogus posts falsely claiming that Biden was either lost or freezing up – highlighting how vicious and personalized internet campaigning has become since former President Donald Trump was found guilty of crimes and attack ads ahead of the first debates began in earnest. They also coincide with some individuals’ anxieties over Biden’s physical condition as well as his mentality when Trump has made age a major rallying point although only 3 years younger at 78.
“Cheapfakes”, according to The White House, is what misinformation experts term these videos – many from an account known as X operated by the Republican National Committee (RNC). This month, one brief clip shared by the “RNC Research” account depicted the president bending forward during a ceremony in France marking D-Day. While no chair existed behind him, right-wing influencers pounced on this footage lasting less than 13 seconds and claimed falsely that he had attempted to sit down. According to others he had soiled himself. Nevertheless, Jake Schneider in charge of RNC Research stated that all these clips were obtained from pool feeds.
However, rolling tape tells another story: there was a seat under POTUS after all. A video edited by RNC, for example, did not show what happened next even though it stopped at that point with Biden beginning to lower himself just as soon as music ended then paused until Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin introduced him into a sitting position at which point Austin stood up to speak. Another widely shared video featured Biden appearing divergent from other world leaders while giving thumbs-up sign off against skydiving backdrop during G7 conference in Italy; however, it turned out to be another untruth when GOP X account flagged this footage leading New York Post to title its front page ‘Meander in Chief’ but the NY Post’s cover picture and a video they uploaded online had cropped out Biden’s congratulating of the parachutists.
The White House has responded. “It is very revealing that rightwing critics, like Rupert Murdoch’s pathetic little super PAC, the New York Post, traffic in misinformation,” their senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said. “Their fear over Biden’s record is such that they are resorting to fabrication.”
