President Joe Biden is fond of pushing back on questions about his fitness for office with a two-word response: “watch me.”
The answer is a challenge to Americans to observe him and keep an open mind.
But it is also a challenge to the president to show Americans he is indeed up to the job.
During an interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that aired on Sunday, Biden threw down the challenge when the question of his fitness came up.
And unfortunately for him, people were watching him Wednesday.
Biden delivered remarks at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference.
And after his speech, he seemed confused.
He walked away from the lectern and appeared to be signaling to his aides, looking for directions on whether he should leave the stage.
While he was communicating, a speaker, said, “Mr. President, thank you.” At which point, Biden whipped around and looked at him.
After a few seconds, Biden turned around, walked to a corner of the stage, and stood with his hands clasped in front of him.
Watch the video below:
WATCH: President Biden appears lost on stage following remarks at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference pic.twitter.com/lnpz8VJQUQ
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 21, 2022
During the “60 Minutes” interview, journalist Scott Pelley asked the president what he thinks when people question his fitness.
“Watch me. Honest to God, that’s all I think. If you think I don’t have the energy level or mental acuity, then that’s one thing. It’s another to just watch and keep my schedule,” Biden responded.
Biden on his mental focus: “Oh focused. Hahaha I’d say it’s, it is I haven’t… here, look. I have trouble even mentioning, even saying to myself, in my head, the number of years. I no more think of myself being old as I am than fly.”pic.twitter.com/4UKPIZElZg
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) September 19, 2022
Pelley then asked about his mental focus, to which Biden said, “Oh, it’s focused. I’d say it’s, I think it’s, I, I haven’t, look, I have trouble even mentioning, even saying to myself, my own head, the number of years.”
“I no more think of myself as being as old as I am than fly. I mean, it’s just not, I haven’t, observed anything in terms of, there’s not things I don’t do now that I did before, whether it’s physical, or mental, or anything else,” he added.
Greg Price, a consultant at the conservative organization X Strategies, spliced together a video of Biden at the Global Fund’s account with his challenge to “watch me.”
Joe Biden on Sunday: “Watch me.”
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 21, 2022
Joe Biden today… pic.twitter.com/r8Oyh0g5Yw
This is not the first time Biden has seemed confused about where he was supposed to go.
Forgetting whether you are supposed to exit to the right or stay on the stage for a few moments after your speech is not inherently a sign of some kind of decline. But the repeated instances of it are, at the very least, signs of poor planning by his staff.
So many of any presidential events are choreographed and planned to avoid awkward moments and go smoothly. It should not be a surprise what is going to happen when he finishes a speech. You would think Biden’s staff would realize they need to come up with a better way to avoid such awkward moments.
But for whatever reason, they appear to think the current system of Biden figuring where to go by communicating with hand signals is fine.
