Jill Biden Rushing Over to Joe Raises Eyebrows

Conservatives on social media passed around a video clip on Monday that they claimed showed a "confused" President Joe Biden wandering off-stage "after instructions" from first lady Jill Biden.

The clip first began to circulate on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday afternoon, and appears to have been taken after an official White House event had concluded. While very little context was included in the posts made online, it is possible, but not confirmed by Newsweek, that it was taken in proximity to the administration's Women's History Month reception, which was listed for Monday on the White House's schedule and had Biden and the first lady in attendance.

At the start of the clip, Biden, 81, can be seen onstage talking to a woman whose identity is unclear, at which point the first lady approaches him quickly to say something, pointing towards the left of the frame. After speaking with his wife, the president then proceeds to walk to the right of the frame and exit the stage.

Based on the available footage, it is unclear what is actually being said by anyone. Nevertheless, several conservative users on X claimed, without concrete evidence, that it was an instance of the president failing to follow "instructions" on where to go from the first lady, furthering their longstanding claims that Biden, at his advanced age, lacks the mental acuity to hold office without assistance from those around him.

"A confused Biden wanders off the stage after instructions from Jill, Ed.D," a post from the account RNC Research, which claims to be "exposing the lies, hypocrisy, and failed far-left policies of Joe Biden," read.

A similar post was made by the conservative account "Proud Elephant," differing only in referring to Biden as "highly confused."

"You couldn't rely on Joe Biden to go to the store for milk and eggs, and yet, some people think he can lead our country for 4 more years," author John LeFevre wrote in his own X post.

"The leader of the free world," the account "Clown World" posted, alongside a face-palm emoji.

Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Monday afternoon for comment.

At 78 years old when he took the oath of office in 2021, Biden is the oldest individual in U.S. history elected to the presidency. Despite several notable policy successes, the notion that he is too old to hold office has dogged him throughout his first term and has been cited by many voters as a concern heading into his 2024 reelection effort.

Biden and his staff have consistently dismissed such concerns, while lawmakers who have interacted with him since he took office have attested to his mental acuity. He has also received plaudits from many after his last two State of the Union addresses, during which he showed considerable energy and wit.

Questions related to the age and mental fitness of former President Donald Trump, the presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee, have also been raised. This comes as Trump, 77, while on the campaign trail, has made a series of gaffes.

In a previous Newsweek poll conducted last year, a majority of voters across all generations believe that aging politicians should be tested for mental fitness, with support for the measure being slightly stronger among Americans aged between 57 and 75—the so-called baby boomers.

The poll was conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on behalf of Newsweek among a sample population of 1,500 eligible voters in the country. It found that 75 percent of all Americans agree that politicians of a certain age should be required to take competency tests to prove their mental fitness for office, with support rising with age.