When President Joe Biden recently sat down for an interview with “60 Minutes,” host Scott Pelley went there.
“Some people ask whether you are fit for the job, and when you hear that, I wonder what you think,” Pelley said.
“Watch me,” Biden said. “Honest to God, that’s all I think.”
“If you think I don’t have the energy level or the mental acuity, then you know, that’s one thing,” he said. “It’s another thing, you know, just watch and, you know, keep my schedule. Do what I’m doing.”
“I respect the fact that people would say, you know, ‘You’re old.’ But I think it relates to how much energy you have and whether or not the job you’re doing is one consistent with what any person of any age would be able to do.”
Bad call. A week or so later, Biden appeared to get lost and confused while walking off stage following remarks at the Global Fund Conference in New York.
Where ya going, Big Guy? pic.twitter.com/hvMjZlprWb
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 21, 2022
The scene went viral.
HANKE'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! Following a speech, Pres Biden was literally LOST ON STAGE. Our fearless Commander in Chief is UNABLE to get on and off stage. Take a look:pic.twitter.com/TvCf4z4IRd
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) September 23, 2022
But Newsweek came to Biden’s defense in a piece headlined, “Fact Check: Did Joe Biden Get ‘Lost’ on UN Stage in Viral Video?”
“The clips of Biden leaving the stage show about 30 seconds of footage, from applause as his speech ends, to the camera shifting towards a new speaker at the end,” the mag wrote.
“Biden can be seen heading to the left of the podium (stage right), where some photographers can be seen as he briefly freezes, possibly to pose briefly for a photo or wait for guidance (as he has been seen doing on past occasions).”
“The latter point is supported by the next few seconds, where it appears that Biden is speaking to someone out of shot. While it is unclear what is being said, Biden’s reaction to the response—stopping in his tracks rather than exiting the stage—suggests that he was told to remain until further notice.”
“Indeed, moments later he and other world leaders are called up on the main stage to take a photo together, providing a likely explanation for why the president awkwardly lingered at the side of the stage after his speech,” Newsweek reported.
The liberal outlet also said Biden “showed an understanding of where the stairs to get off the stage were.” You can watch the unedited video below.
But from a watch of the video, it’s clear Biden is at least confused about where he was supposed to go and what he was supposed to do.
Biden said, “watch me.” And we are.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.