President Joe Biden is going viral for the wrong reasons due to an errant quip he made in remarks last Friday, prompting widespread mockery and criticism of his capacity as commander-in-chief.
Biden made the comment while speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Big Tech CEOs, saying jokingly that he had “sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things that we shared.”
Though Biden immediately followed with “Now, all kidding aside…” the joke was lost when the Republican National Committee’s “Research” Twitter account posted a clip of the remarks without the explanation.
The 14-second video quickly became a sensation, with more than a million views in less than two hours and users alike making jokes and drawing comparisons to the federal documents case against former President Donald Trump.
“Joe Biden’s brain is going and he’s literally admitting his crimes out loud. Impeach Biden! It’s unreal and so insulting to America,” wrote Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
Others had harsher criticism of the incident, including former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), who wrote, “Well, honest or in a fog of confusion? Where are you, Democrats? Speak up because we never hear from you on this topic…”
The wave of criticism has raised more anxieties concerning Biden’s mental and physical fitness for office, an issue that has grown increasingly urgent in the face of growing concern. A recent poll from NBC News found that more than two-thirds of registered voters — 68% — have moderate to major concerns about the president’s mental and physical health.
The slip of the tongue follows a pattern of Biden regularly making gaffes or losing his train of thought while speaking, prompting worries even from some of his fans about the current occupant of the White House.
Although Biden’s comments were made in jest, they have only added to the concerns about his fitness as president and have raised questions about the judgment of the 77-year-old leader who is presiding over a country at a pivotal moment in its history.
BIDEN (last week): "I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things..." pic.twitter.com/eyEaQEevRp
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 26, 2023