President Joe Biden appeared to freeze on stage after giving remarks at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday night before his old boss took him by the arm and pulled the president away.
The incident captured on video is the latest in a series of episodes that have plagued 81-year-old Biden as he mounts a second bid for the White House.
In the video, Biden and Obama are seen waving and smiling while receiving a standing ovation in the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
Biden applauds and gives the audience a thumbs up but then he stops moving as he stares out over the crowd for several long seconds.
That’s when Obama, still smiling and waving, takes Biden by the wrist and gives him a gentle tug. That’s when the president appears to snap out of it.
They proceed to walk off the stage together with Obama speaking into Biden’s ear as he pats him on the back as they go.
Late-night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel trails after them awkwardly as they exit to blasting music.
It took place as Biden and Obama were sharing the stage at the event which raised upward of $30 million for Biden’s reelection bid.
It comes just after other videos appeared to show Biden freezing or having other cringe moments in recent days and his penchant for public gaffes has faced increasing scrutiny as he seeks another term in office despite his advanced years.
At a recent Juneteenth celebration at the White House, video of Biden staring off as other attendees danced around him to the music went viral. The president then went on to slur some words during his speech at the event sparked some concerns online.
Last week while attending the G7 in Italy, video showed Biden wandering away from other world leaders while viewing a skydiving demonstration and giving a thumbs up in the other direction.
The video then shows Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tap Biden on the shoulder and direct him back to the group where he throws on a pair of aviators.
Critics and some Donald Trump allies zeroed in on the video as questions are raised about the 81-year-old’s fitness for office.
But the White House slammed the criticism and video, arguing the widely shared clip cropped out other parachutists Biden had been approaching to make it look like he had simply wandered off.
Obama seen giving Biden’s arm a gentle tug and leading him off the stage after the president freezes during the applause at a fundraiser in Los Angeles
President Biden speaking at a campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday night before a video shows him appearing to freeze and being led off stage by Obama
Biden was joined by former President Obama and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for a conversation at the star-studded fundraiser. The president took aim at Donald Trump and the conservative Supreme Court during the glitzy event
The video of Biden freezing at the Las Angeles theater, while taken from afar in the audience, clearly shows the president unmoving before Obama steps in.
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Just before the captured moment, Biden had been speaking alongside Biden in a conversation with Kimmel where he blasted his political opponent Donald Trump and warned against letting the ex-president return to the White House.
Biden called the possibility of Trump getting to choose two more Supreme Court justices ‘one of the scariest parts’ of the Republican ex-president being elected again and even joked about his hair.
‘Remember the pandemic? He said just don’t worry just inject a little bleach,’ the president said. ‘It worked for me,’ Kimmel quipped.
‘It worked for [Trump],’ Biden responded. ‘It colored his hair.’
Obama also took aim at Trump, arguing there are certain ‘standards and values we should stand for.’
While Obama has been publicly raising money for Biden’s reelection campaign and appearing in campaign videos, behind closed doors he reportedly warned of Trump’s political strength in conversation with Biden last year.
Polling has shown that Biden’s age has been one of the biggest concerns for voters this election season. He is already the oldest president to have ever served in office.
On Saturday, Trump gave remarks in Detroit where he challenged Biden to a cognitive test. But then the 78-year-old ex-president made a series of gaffes as well.
The pair are set to face-off in a highly anticipated first debate in less than two weeks.