Back in March, something rather strange occurred. President Joe Biden looked like he cannot take a simple tour of a manufacturing facility without non-stop directions from a guide throughout the event.
In an embarrassing video showing his March stroll through a semiconductor plant in Durham, North Carolina, Joe Biden had to be given instructions like someone who did not know the basics of simply walking in a straight line and talking to voters.
The president needed a coach to choreograph his every move.
What Did the Joe Biden Footage Show?
The video looked and sounded problematic as it picked up Biden’s feeble movement and a hot mic showed evidence of his continuous need for directions from his handlers. The footage showing the bewildered and confused president was posted on Twitter March 28 and it had racked up 3.2 million views in the first 24 hours.
Here are some of the quotes from his coaches that guided the puzzled president:
-“Down here?” Biden asked. “Yes Sir, down the ramp, and we have people lined up on the left over here.”
-“There are some union workers and ladies” the guide said. “Hey guys and ladies,” as Joe Biden waved.
-“Your mark is going to be the blue one on the left. You got a blue mark but that’s ok.”
-“I’ll stand on my blue mark, and then I’m going to say hello to each one of you.” Biden said. “I’ll help you get started,” the coach explained.
Summarize the Agony
Let’s unpack this a little to reveal just how clueless Biden seems during this event.
He needed to be told where to go.
He required the guide to tell him there were people present. He needed a marker to tell him where to stand and he desired help to get started when it came to visiting workers.
This was not a complicated fight scene in a Hollywood action movie that needs special choreography and multiple takes. This is just meeting people at a factory – one of the simplest ceremonial events a politician can embark on. Enter, walk, talk, shake hands, and exit. “So simple, a caveman can do it,” to quote a famous commercial from GEICO.
He’s Done It Before
This was like the time Joe Biden only had to walk a straight line on a red carpet to examine Polish troops at a review ceremony in Poland in February. Biden had to be guided as he confusedly tottered off while checking out the soldiers. He walked away from the red carpet and had to be straightened out by a handler. Then there was the time a young girl had to take the president by the hand and guide him off stage after a speech.
Why does this keep happening? One reason is that Biden’s handlers try to control his every word and movement, so much that he is paralyzed without instruction. Biden doesn’t seem to be embarrassed when he is caught in these perplexing situations where he clearly doesn’t know what to do without guidance.
Another reason is that he is not aware of his surroundings and just turns it over to someone else because he is so used to being scatterbrained. This foggy mental state keeps him from making his own decisions about simple movement and doing what politicians naturally do, which is interact with voters without being told how to do it.
Well, At Least the Secret Service Know Where He Is
In Biden’s defense, these instructions help his Secret Service detail know exactly where the president is going at all times – a good thing that allows for better security and protection. But gee whiz.
Not surprisingly conservatives had a high time making fun of the president who continues to show effects from his advanced age and apparent declining mental faculties.
We are just going to have to get used to Joe Biden’s struggles in the public eye. There has been no improvement, only regression. The president is living in a fog that requires handlers to explain every movement he must make in social situations. This calls into question his decision-making process. Is he able to make decisions without mentally stumbling and doddering? If so, that is a worrisome thought – the leader of the free world needs an alarming amount of hand-holding. We can only hope that Joe Biden is on better footing away from the cameras.
Author Expertise and Experience:
Serving as 19FortyFive’s Defense and National Security Editor, Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.
