After the devastating wildfires in Maui that killed hundreds of people this month, Republicans have used it to fuel their own agenda against President Joe Biden – Here’s how they did it.
“No Comment” Response Deemed Inadequate
President Joe Biden faces criticism from conservatives over his response to the devastating wildfires in Maui, with claims that his behavior following the disaster has been inadequate.
Biden’s “no comment” response upon being questioned about the death toll received backlash, setting the tone for further scrutiny.
At a community event, Biden’s attempt at humor raised eyebrows as it appeared to draw a comparison between the deadly blaze and his vintage ’67 Corvette.
Footage from the same event circulated on social media, causing conservatives on Twitter to accuse Biden of falling asleep during speeches by community leaders.
A Lack of Honor
Several posts on Twitter fueled the narrative that Biden had nodded off during an engagement event in Lahaina, Hawaii, while addressing the recent wildfires.
A tweet by DC_Draino, viewed over 400,000 times, stated Biden “just fell asleep during a ceremony in Hawaii honoring the hundreds of Americans killed by the fires.”
Trending Politics’ Collin Rugg, with over 560,000 views, claimed, “Biden appears to briefly fall asleep during a ceremony in Maui honoring the hundreds of people who died.”
Fox News host Sean Hannity’s post, with over 102,000 views, alleged, “Biden appears to fall asleep during a ceremony in Hawaii honoring the hundreds of Americans killed by the fires.”
Accuracy Challenged
However, the accuracy of these claims is brought into question as the clips circulated on social media are low-quality and make it difficult to determine if Biden was genuinely sleeping.
A full, high-quality video from C-SPAN offered clarity, showing Biden maintained an upright posture, bowed his head while he listened, blinked, and eventually returned his gaze to the stage.
The shorter clips on social media do not include the full context of the event, leading to fake news being spread online.
This incident is not the first time a video of Biden has been edited to imply that he was falling asleep during an important event.
Fact Checked Snoozing
In July, a clip suggesting Biden fell asleep during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog was debunked when the full video demonstrated that Biden had only paused during his remarks.
In the community event in Lahaina, Biden did not fall asleep. The clear and unedited footage shows him bowing his head with his eyes open before returning his attention to the stage.
The post Rock a Bye Biden? Was the Disaster and Death Toll in Maui Not Enough to Keep the President from Nodding Off? first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Alexandros Michailidis
Source: PolitiFact