Chris Lange, FISM News
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Concerns about President Biden’s mental acuity continue to mount following a bizarre incident that took place Monday during the annual White House Easter egg roll, causing some to question whether Biden is able to fulfill his duties as commander in chief.
Video taken at the event hosted by the president and first lady shows Biden wandering over to a crowd of spectators after reading a story to children assembled on the White House lawn. A reporter in the audience can be heard asking the president a question about Afghanistan and Pakistan, to which he responded “Pakistan should not, and Afghanistan should be…” before a person dressed in an Easter Bunny costume rushed over and physically ushered him away, mid-sentence.
A video of the peculiar encounter was shared on Twitter by Thomas C. Dillon, a former political adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
https://twitter.com/craigtdillon/status/1516087819185405956
Several others took to the social media network to poke fun at the Easter Bunny intervention.
“This Administration has officially reached peak absurdity,” tweeted Missouri Senator Josh Hawley.
Fox News personality Sean Hannity chimed in with “Even the Easter Bunny is babysitting Joe…”
“The Easter Bunny cut short Biden’s response to a question about Afghanistan and insisted that Joe walk away immediately. Any further questions will be handled by Clifford, the Big Red Dog,” another user tweeted.
What makes the matter more interesting is that a tweet from earlier in the day shows that it was likely White House Director of Message Planning Meghan Hays inside the bunny suit, highlighting a criticism that Biden is taking cues from others within his administration rather than leading from the helm.
.@POTUS @FLOTUS SURPRISE! pic.twitter.com/tE1dvRYkj6
— Meghan Hays (@MegHays46) April 18, 2022
The incident marks one of several disturbing public appearances by the president in recent months. Last Thursday, Biden appeared to shake hands with the air after speaking at North Carolina A&T State University. During his speech, the president also falsely claimed that he had been a “full professor” at the University of Pennsylvania for four years.
Earlier this month, Biden appeared lost when guests at the White House flocked around Barack Obama during the ex-president’s first visit to his former home since leaving office. Biden could be seen shuffling among the crowd and looking around before trying unsuccessfully to get Obama’s attention. The former president was there to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
The president has also made a series of alarming gaffes concerning Russia’s war on Ukraine, including appearing to call for a regime change in Moscow, telling reporters NATO would “respond in kind” if Russia engages in chemical or biological warfare, suggesting U.S. troops will fight alongside Ukrainian forces, and telling reporters that the White House would not necessarily respond to a “minor incursion” by Moscow during a Jan. 19 press briefing.
The president has also broken with his administration’s careful avoidance of using terms that carry significant weight on the global stage, including calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” appearing to advocate for a regime change in Moscow, and, most recently, calling Russia’s war actions “genocide.” The off-script remarks drew public censure from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Biden’s aides have been forced repeatedly to clarify the president’s verbal blunders to deescalate the potentially incendiary remarks and reassure the American public and international community, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, that the President is merely “speaking from his heart” or expressing “moral outrage” with such statements.
Foreign presidents and political pundits aren’t alone in their unease over Biden’s cognitive health. A recent Issues and Insights poll found that one in five Americans now believe that Joe Biden may not be able to finish his term in office.
“[A]fter a year of record inflation and gasoline price hikes, devastating COVID lockdowns, a surge of illegal immigration, the botched departure from Afghanistan, and growing questions over the 79-year-old president’s mental fitness, a surprising number of Americans now think Biden won’t last even another two and a half years in office,” Issues & Insights said in an article detailing the survey’s findings.
When asked, “In your opinion, how likely is it that Joe Biden will complete his first term in office?” a majority of Americans (71%) said it is “likely,” but a surprising number of respondents (21%) now say it is “not likely.”
“A closer look at the data provides little comfort for Biden’s own pollsters and political advisers,” the article states, pointing out that only 45% of that group thinks it is “very likely” Biden will complete his term in office, with around 25% saying it is “somewhat likely.” Eight percent said they are “not sure.”
The poll was conducted online from April 4-6 and included 1,305 adults across the country. The results have a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.