White House Criticizes ‘Cheap Fakes’ Depicting Biden

The White House has dismissed viral clips showing President Joe Biden in seemingly frail or confused states as “cheap fakes,” sparking a fresh wave of controversy. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the issue during a White House press briefing on Monday, amid growing concerns about the 81-year-old president’s mental and physical fitness as he campaigns for a second term.

"I think you all have called this the cheap fakes video, and that’s exactly what they are," Jean-Pierre said. "They are cheap fakes video. They are done in bad faith."

Jean-Pierre criticized the right-wing critics behind the videos, accusing them of pushing misinformation. "Some of your news organizations have stressed that these right-wing critics of the president have a credibility problem because fact-checkers have repeatedly caught them pushing misinformation and disinformation," she added.

The controversy centers on several clips, including one showing Biden wandering away from other G-7 leaders during a photo op in Italy and another where former President Barack Obama appears to guide him off the stage at a Los Angeles fundraiser. These videos, often shared on social media platform X, have fueled narratives questioning Biden's capabilities, prompting denials and fact-checks from the White House and Biden's allies.

Jean-Pierre specifically called out the Italy clip and another from Normandy, labeling them "cheap fakes" that distort the context, particularly attacking Biden for thanking troops. She defended the fundraiser video as a demonstration of Biden's friendship with Obama.

In response, the Republican National Committee’s X account fired back at Jean-Pierre, accusing her of overreacting to unfiltered clips of Biden. "Karine Jean-Pierre is BIG MAD that we distribute unfiltered, unedited, publicly available clips of Biden in public. (We’ll do more)," the account posted. "Jean-Pierre has a conniption over raw footage of Biden wandering around in public. This level of coping and seething hasn’t been seen in YEARS!"

As the 2024 presidential campaign heats up, the battle over Biden’s public image and the authenticity of viral media clips is likely to intensify.

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