Topline
A pro-Biden super PAC backed by tech billionaires, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, is reportedly launching a social media campaign to catch up with former President Donald Trump’s social media successes—including a string of unflattering videos of President Joe Biden generating concerns about his mental fitness.
US President Joe Biden (L) stands with former US President Barack Obama onstage during a campaign ... [+]
Key Facts
Future Forward USA Action is raising at least $10 million for the project, which will include a study of how social media algorithms have facilitated Republicans in sharing videos of Biden appearing to look awkward or confused in public, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the effort.
Future Forward is also aiming to recruit left-leaning social media influencers to share pro-Biden content and make inroads on Trump’s social media popularity, particularly on TikTok, where Trump has gained 6.5 million followers after joining two weeks ago, compared to the 380,000-some followers for the Biden campaign since joining in February.
The effort comes after Biden has been dogged in recent weeks by a series of videos shared by the Republican National Committee and other Trump allies on social media claiming to show Biden “freezing” in public or having to be physically guided by others around him.
Key Background
Biden’s appearance on stage with former President Barack Obama and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles Saturday is the most recent to generate significant criticism and speculation of an age-related mental lapse. The video shows Biden and Obama stand and wave to the applauding crowd following an interview with Kimmel. Obama begins to walk off stage as Biden stands and smiles with his arms at his side for approximately seven seconds. Obama then turns back around and grabs Biden by the wrist, before putting his hand on the president’s back as the two walk off stage. Last week, video of Biden peeling off from other Group of Seven world leaders during a skydiving demonstration at the annual summit in Italy drew widespread scrutiny, with Biden's critics arguing he looked aloof on the world stage. The video shows Biden taking a few steps away from the other world leaders and giving a thumbs up to a nearby parachutist, as the rest of the group is focused on another demonstrator. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni then taps Biden and directs him back to the group, where he slowly puts on his sunglasses and stands still. And the third video that’s raised questions about Biden’s mental state shows him standing awkwardly still for about 30 seconds during a White House Juneteenth concert earlier this month as other guests, including Vice President Kamala Harris, danced alongside him.
Chief Critic
The White House has hit back at the perception of Biden’s actions in the three videos, with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre claiming Monday Trump’s allies and right-wing media have shared “cheap fakes” that push “misinformation, disinformation” about the president. Some of the videos have been deceptively edited, such as the footage of Biden at the G7 summit. The New York Post cut the skydiver Biden approached from the frame of a photo it ran on its cover, though the Republican National Committee shared the full video on its X account. A non-political source, Hollywood Reporter senior staff writer Chris Gardner, was among the first to share the video of Obama and Biden on stage in Los Angeles Saturday, tweeting “Obama then grabs Biden’s hand to lead him offstage.” The New York Post ran the headline “Biden appears to freeze up, has to be led off stage by Obama at mega-bucks L.A. fundraiser.” White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates responded to the Post story by tweeting that the president was “taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds.”
Further Reading
Biden Wanders Away From Other G7 Leaders—And Controversy Ensues: The Video Explained (Forbes)
Biden-Trump Gaffe Tracker: Biden Appears Frozen During White House Concert (Forbes)
