President Biden needed stage directions from a member of the military during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Veterans Day celebrations at Arlington National Cemetery Saturday.
Biden needed help from a member of the graveside honor guard to place a large floral arrangement on the pews in the plaza in front of the memorial honoring America’s missing and unidentified war dead.
He stepped back from the wreath and hesitated for a moment before making the sign of the cross over himself.
He stepped back, turned, and took a few steps away from the wreath – and then turned back and approached the officer again.
Then he backed away, turned, and took a few steps away from the wreath – and then turned back and approached the officer again.
The trooper pointed a gloved hand back at Vice President Kamala Harris, who was standing a few feet away, and the president returned to his sign next to him.
Harris and Denis McDonough, Biden’s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, both appeared to hold back smiles as the president turned away.
After walking in the circle, Biden needed instructions from the honor guard to know where to stand.AP
Republicans expressed dismay at Biden’s apparent confusion.
“God help us,” Rep. New Jersey’s Jeff Van Drew told The Post. “We have a president who doesn’t know if he’s coming or going.”
“Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does,” said Rep. Darrell Issa from California.
“It is sad to see President Biden’s cognitive decline over and over again,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island. “How is he running for re-election?”
Former president Donald Trump, speaking at a campaign rally in a high school gym in Claremont, New Hampshire, mocked Biden for his frequent disorientation.
After laying the wreath, Biden didn’t seem clear on what to do next. AFP via Getty Images
“We have a man in the White House who can’t string two sentences together, who can’t find his way out of this stage,” Trump said, gesturing to the gym’s small stage – prompting laughter from the crowd.
“And this is a man that we have negotiated with Putin and with President Xi of China,” Trump said.
Biden, in a 14-minute speech after a wreath-laying ceremony during Arlington’s 70th National Veterans Day Observance, again remembered his late son Beau, who served a year in Iraq as a member of the National Guard.
“Today, I can see my son, standing tall as I pin the bar on him the day he joins the Army National Guard in Delaware,” Biden said. “I can still feel an incredible sense of pride.”
The president also tripped over the LGBTQ+ acronym as he tried to improve his administration’s policy on gay and transgender service members.
Joe Biden has a history of stumbling as the president approaches his 81st birthday. AFP via Getty Images
“We have redoubled our efforts to ensure … no veteran is denied the honors they deserve because they were terminated because of LBTQ plus,” he lamented.
The Arlington commemoration followed a private reception in the East Room of the White House for veterans and military officials.
Biden, who will turn 81 later this month, has made frequent mistakes and confusions in recent months – as polls show a growing number of voters doubt his ability to handle the rigors of the presidency.
Meanwhile, Trump’s two Republican rivals released Veterans Day messages to emphasize their personal military ties.
“Proud of my veteran Michael Haley and the many men and women who have served to defend our freedom,” former UN ambassador Nikki Haley posted to Xalong with a photo of her husband Michael, a National Guard officer currently stationed in Africa.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis send his thanks for “all who have worn the dress of our country.”
“As a veteran myself, I am humbled by the unwavering support we have received,” wrote DeSantis, a former Navy lieutenant commander. “I will always stand behind our vets.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
