United States President Joe Biden courted controversy after a video of him allegedly ‘sleeping’ during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett went viral on social media. It must be mentioned that the concerned meeting took place between the two world leaders at the White House on Friday (August 27).
Republican leaders and social media users began speculating whether US President Joe Biden was indeed sleeping during the meeting. EHA News tweeted, “US president Joe Biden fell asleep during a press conference he held with Naftali Bennett. Bennett continued to talk while Biden was sleeping.”
📹| #Biden falls asleep during press conference with #Israel‘s PM Bennett
— EHA News (@eha_news) August 28, 2021
▪️#US president Joe Biden fell asleep during a press conference he held with Naftali Bennett.
▪️Bennett continued to talk while Biden was sleeping. pic.twitter.com/p2EzWdQ3tF
Political strategist Chuck Callesto emphasised, “Joe Biden Caught SLEEPING During High-Level MEETING with Israel’s new prime minister Naftali Bennett…The Israeli Prime Minister Naftali looked DIRECTLY AT THE US PRESIDENT as if in disbelief…”
BREAKING REPORT: Joe Biden Caught *SLEEPING* During High-Level MEETING with Israel’s new prime minister Naftali Bennett…
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) August 28, 2021
The Israeli Prime Minister Naftali looked DIRECTLY AT THE US PRESIENT as if in disbelief…
A Twitter user, JD Sharp, criticised Joe Biden for allegedly sleeping during his meetup with the greatest ally of the United States i.e. Israel. “The 25th Amendment must be started by Kamala Harris and confirmed by Congress immediately.” It must be mentioned that the 25th Amendment allows the vice president to take up the role of President in case of his death, resignation or removal from office. Such a decision must be backed by a majority vote in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Joe Biden sleeping in the middle of a meeting with the Prime Minister of one of our greatest allies, Israel.
— JD Sharp (@imjdsharp) August 28, 2021
The 25th Amendment must be started by Kamala Harris and confirmed by Congress immediately. https://t.co/91sU1aFfJa
Twitter user (@das_pear) wrote, “Joe Biden sleeping on the jews…There is not a more potent metaphor than our time.”
LMAO JOE BIDEN SLEEPING ON THE JEWS
— talichad (@das_pear) August 28, 2021
THERE IS NOT A MORE POTENT METAPHOR FOR OUR TIME
pic.twitter.com/npf0Ns4LCj
Republican Senator from Arizona State, Wendy Rogers, mocked the US President and remarked, “While we cried, Joe Biden slept. “
While we cried, Joe Biden slept.
— Wendy Rogers (@WendyRogersAZ) August 29, 2021
Republican activist JT Lewis wondered whether Joe Biden fell asleep during the meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel.
Joe Biden appears to have fallen asleep during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel. pic.twitter.com/wdqHRmKC3G
— JT Lewis (@thejtlewis) August 28, 2021
However, according to CNN reporter Daniel Dale, the video of Joe Biden allegedly sleeping during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is ‘nonsense’. He had shared the link of the video wherein it can be seen that the US President was actively participating in the meeting.
This “Biden asleep” stuff is nonsense. Full vid https://t.co/1jC9JjOXag shows: 1) Biden talking; 2) Biden looking at Bennett; 3) Biden looking downward, his hands moving, starting right when Bennett mentioned this week’s “difficult days”; 4) Biden immediately replying to Bennett. pic.twitter.com/dJ9dLsoiTY
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 28, 2021
Joe Biden was seen talking, looking at his counterpart and only putting his head down when Bennett started speaking. The US President was also prompt in responding to the Israeli Prime Minister.
Biden was given the nickname ‘Sleepy Joe’ by former US President Donald Trump. The name of “Sleepy Joe” came from Trump’s suggestion that Joe Biden is suffering from a cognitive decline of his mental faculties.
Netizens slam Joe Biden for ‘disastrous optics’ on Afghanistan crisis
On Thursday (August 26), United States President Joe Biden appeared visibly frustrated on being quizzed about the death of 13 US Marines in a deadly terror attack at the Hamid Karzai International airport in Kabul. Without mincing any words, Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Biden whether he was willing to take any responsibility for the Afghanistan crisis.
“Mr. President, there had not been a U.S. service member killed in combat in Afghanistan since February of 2020. You set a deadline, you pulled troops out, you sent troops back in, and now 12 Marines are dead. You said the buck stops with you. Do you bear any responsibility for the way that things have unfolded in the last two weeks?” he inquired. Joe Biden, who kept Doocy waiting till the end, fumbled as he was pressed with a tough question. The US President managed to get his act together and said that he bore responsibility for everything that had occurred ‘of late’.
However, he blamed former President Donald Trump for setting May 1 as the final date of exit for all US troops from Afghanistan. “This was a year before. In return, he was given a commitment that the Taliban will continue to attack others but not attack the American forces. After having comprehended the US President’s tactics to avoid answering hard questions, Peter Doocy emphasised, “Donald Trump is not president right now.”
Biden tried to interject and stop the Fox News correspondent halfway. At about 1:27 minutes into the conversation, he went on bend his head, close his eyes and rest his hands on the podium. It was evident that Biden was irritated with Doccy’s line of questioning. His gesture was widely criticised by the netizens for showcasing the US government’s weakness and incompetence in dealing with the situation.
