The hoaxes that call into question the state of Joe Biden’s health

In recent days, numerous hoaxes have spread that question the state of Joe Biden’s health and his ability to hold the office of president of the United States. This misinformation has circulated for years, focusing on Biden’s age (81 years) and alleged mental illnesses that the president suffers from, but without providing evidence of this.

As the US presidential elections approach in which Biden is running for re-election against Donald Trump, this content has circulated more recurrently. For example, videos in which the president tries to sit in a “non-existent” chair or images of him supposedly walking “disoriented” at an official event were in fact manipulated or decontextualized content.

At Newtral.es we have compiled some of the most viral hoaxes that have been shared to cast doubt on the state of Joe Biden’s health.

The Biden hoax and the chair “that does not exist”

A video circulated in which the American president appeared trying to find a chair to sit on, but it supposedly “did not exist.” Viral messages spread the images to question Biden’s health status ahead of his possible re-election next November, but the claims about the “invisible” chair are a hoax.

The viral video was cut and omitted the moment in which the president sits in a chair behind him.

The American president did not walk “disoriented” at the G7 summit in Italy

Publications on social networks spread a video showing the G7 leaders witnessing a skydiving spectacle. At one point, Biden turns away from them and begins to walk with his back to the group, supposedly “disoriented,” according to viral messages.

However, the video was cropped and in the full broadcast you can see how the American president approached to greet a parachutist.

The hoaxes that accuse Biden of falling asleep live to cast doubt on his state of health

Social media users shared a video in which Biden supposedly falls asleep during a live television interview. In the images, the presenter can be heard asking him to wake up while the president snores, but it is a hoax.

The viral video mixes images from a 2011 interview with singer Harry Belafonte and a connection that Biden made in 2020 with former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. The president looked down, apparently closing his eyes, but opening them again. Furthermore, no snoring was heard.

On another occasion, a video was released in which the US president supposedly fell asleep during a meeting with the then Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, at the White House. However, this is another hoax that questions Biden’s health status.

Full footage of the meeting shows the president moving his arms and chatting with Bennett, so he didn’t fall asleep.

Biden did not leave Zelensky alone talking, it is a hoax

A video circulated in which Biden supposedly left the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking alone in the East Room of the White House during a conference between the two. In the images, Zelensky appeared thanking the military aid sent by the United States while the American president left the room and left him alone at the lectern, but it is a hoax.

The original video shows how the two leave the conference together, while the viral images mixed fragments of Biden’s exit with frames of Zelensky speaking. Additionally, the audio was also manipulated.

Hoax: Biden did recognize Rishi Sunak in this video, the viral images omit the greeting between them

Publications on social networks spread a video in which, upon arrival at Belfast airport, Biden allegedly “did not recognize” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and pulled him aside to greet a soldier.

However, it is false that the US president “did not recognize” Sunak. The viral video was cropped and omitted the moment in which the two shook hands and exchanged brief words.

The American president did not place the Medal of Honor upside down on a veteran

Social media users shared images in which the American president supposedly placed the Medal of Honor upside down on a veteran, with the plaque hanging from the back. The viral messages mocked Biden and his age, questioning his health and his ability to continue leading the US government, but the claims were based on a hoax.

A version of the video with better resolution showed how the president placed the medal correctly, with the plaque hanging on the front.

The hoax of Biden saluting “into the air” that questions the president’s state of health

A video circulated in which the US president appeared giving a speech in North Carolina and, at the end, he supposedly saluted “on the air.” The viral publications related the images to a mistake due to Biden’s age and his state of health, but it is not true that he greeted “on the air.”

In reality, the president addressed the audience behind him, as PolitiFact verified.