As Joe Biden sat across from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a recent meeting, he uttered what appeared to be an attempt at a joke that sent ripples across the globe. He said, “I started off without you, and I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things that we shared.”
This statement raised brows and sparked controversy. Biden quickly laughed at this jarring comment, indicating that it was a joke. But in an era where every word uttered by any president is examined under a microscope, there are concerns that such humor masks a deeper truth.
BIDEN (last week): "I sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things…" pic.twitter.com/eyEaQEevRp
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 26, 2023
The question on everyone’s minds now is whether the poor choice of words was merely another Biden gaffe, or did the President, known for his slips and stumbles, unintentionally reveal a chilling truth?
Some voices were quick to denounce the President for his “humor.” The incident led to an uproar online, with Biden’s critics seizing upon the moment to question his competency and mental fitness.
“Joe Biden’s brain is going and he’s literally admitting his crimes out loud. It’s unreal and so insulting to America,” tweeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
Meanwhile, Greg Price, the communications director for the State Freedom Caucus Network, contrasted Biden’s gaffe with the legal troubles of former President Donald Trump. He observed, “Donald Trump is being indicted for things that Joe Biden is admitting to doing out loud.”
Whether one sees this incident as a moment of humor or an inadvertent confession, it’s evident that Biden’s words have rekindled concerns about his capacity to serve. A recent NBC News poll found that over two-thirds of registered voters harbor moderate to significant concerns about Biden’s mental and physical health for the presidency.
Yet, despite the uproar, Biden’s defenders maintain that he was merely making a gag. His quick laughter and follow-up statement, “All kidding aside,” were clear indicators, they say, of his light-hearted intention. They point out his transition to praising the technological partnership between the U.S. and India as evidence that the initial comment was meant in jest.
However, even if the comment was made in jest, the question remains: Should such matters be joked about by the President of the United States, especially when he and his family are under the dark cloud of a Congressional investigation into allegations of bribery and corrupt business practices?
