Joe Biden, 79, faced another public embarrassment on Wednesday night when he appeared to get lost as he walked off the podium following his comments at the Global Fund Conference.
When applause followed, the US president began to walk off the podium before stopping abruptly and looking around with a look of confusion on his face.
He then appeared to be asking people on the floor how to get off the stage and took a few stuttering steps.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz called the scene “terrifying” on Twitter, and his communications adviser Steve Guest added in his own tweet: “Joe Biden is completely lost on stage. Scary and sad.’
During the event, a man came up to the microphone to say, “Uh, Mr. President, thank you,” as he wandered the stage.
This caused further confusion in the president, who slowly drifted off the podium, stopping every few steps to look back at the speaker who thanked him for his leadership and comments.
The clip of the awkward sidesteps went viral on social media as another example of doubts about Biden’s physical and mental fitness for president. On Sunday, during his 60 Minutes interview, Biden shot down suggestions that he was too old or unfit to run again in 2024 — saying “look at me.”
President Joe Biden, 79, appeared lost in an embarrassing moment as he began to walk off the podium after his remarks at the Global Fund Conference in New York before abruptly stopping, turning and looking around the room in confusion
Speaking at the Global Fund Conference on Wednesday, during Biden’s confusing exit, said: “At the end of such a momentous event, the word ‘thank you’ seems rather inadequate. But for all the millions whose lives will be saved, for communities where lives will be transformed – thank you, President Biden.”
People on Twitter labeled the clip “sad,” saying Biden was behaving “strange” and “clumsy” and speculating that he appears to be “lost” or “doesn’t know where he is.”
The whole ordeal happened after he made comments at the 7th Global Fund Replenishment Conference, which was held in New York and focuses on fighting AIDS, HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
Other awkward encounters were also captured on camera, including two separate instances where he reached out to shake hands with an invisible person.
At a White House event fresh out of his COVID quarantine, Biden seemed to forget that he was already shaking hands with Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, extending his hand for the second time with a confused look on his face as the New York Democrat turned away.
It happened again in April after a speech in North Carolina, where he turned to the right and held out his hand as he stared into space and wandered the stage before leaving the scene.
Many have also pointed to Biden’s accident in August, when he struggled for nearly a minute to put on his suit jacket — and still had issues, even with the help of First Lady Jill Biden — as further evidence of his declining physical condition.
Biden’s physical accidents have become a concern for Republicans who say he is mentally and physically unfit for office. Pictured: Biden falls down stairs boarding Air Force One
The president also fell from his bicycle while riding in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware in June 2022.
He then dropped his sunglasses, leading to an overall awkward Marine One disembarkation after surveying storm damage in Kentucky.
One of the biggest embarrassments for Biden occurred during a bike ride on his Rehoboth Beach vacation in Delaware, where he fell completely off his bike and fell to the ground.
Many think Biden isn’t up for the job — with a recent poll showing 59 percent of Americans are “very” or “somewhat concerned” about the president’s mental health.
Biden rejected criticism that he is too old and mentally unfit to be president.
“Some people think you’re unfit for the job,” CBS correspondent Scott Pelley began, “and when you hear that, I wonder what you think.”
“Watch me,” replied America’s oldest president. “Honest to God, that’s all I think.”
“If you think I don’t have the energy level or the mental acuity, then you know that’s one thing,” he said. “It’s something else, you know, look and, you know, stick to my schedule. Do what I do.’
He continued, “I respect the fact that people would say, you know, ‘You’re old.’ But I think it has to do with how much energy you have and whether the work you’re doing matches what someone of any age could do.’
As he surveyed the aftermath of devastating storms sweeping through Kentucky, he stepped off Marine One (above) and struggled for 30 seconds to put on his jacket — even with the help of First Lady Jill Biden. He then dropped his sunglasses on the floor after attaching his jacket to his body
Biden has now been caught twice on video extending his hand for a handshake, but there is no one to reciprocate the gesture. Pictured: Biden shakes hands after North Carolina economy remarks in April, but was met with naked eye
Despite his comments, Biden would not commit to reelection in 2024, although he told Pelley that is the current plan.
“My intention, as I said to start with, is for me to run again,” he said. “But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I will run again? That remains to be seen.’
Some of Biden’s mental mistakes include repeating himself, forgetting names and locations, and telling long, incoherent stories that seem to have been removed from reality.
In recent months, he told a story claiming he had been appointed to the Naval Academy by a senator he eventually replaced — events that never actually happened.
He is also often mocked for leaning into the microphone and whispering words or phrases during his public remarks to provide emphasis.
Not only are the physical and mental flaws a point of attack for Republicans, but it has also led to embarrassment on the world stage.
At one point, Biden welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a “minor foray” into Ukraine.