President Joe Biden was seen motioning to skydivers at a G7 event in Italy, as shown in a video posted on social media. Critics had previously seized on another clip, which did not clearly show this detail, to claim he appeared to wander off from a group of world leaders.
Footage broadcast by MSNBC and shared on X by White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates shows Biden giving a thumbs up and motioning towards a group of skydivers. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni then caught his attention, and the group of world leaders gathered around him again.
Other clips on social media did not show the full group of skydivers and were used by Biden’s critics to question his mental fitness, a common conservative theme in an election year.
The Murdoch outlets are so desperate to distract from @POTUS's record that they just lie.
Here, they use an artificially narrow frame to hide from viewers that he just saw a skydiving demonstration.
He's saying congratulations to one of the divers and giving a thumbs up. Video: https://t.co/Pn0uGtzpLy pic.twitter.com/tDowABzud3
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) June 13, 2024
A White House spokesperson clarified that the video frame did not include what he was walking towards.
Key Points About the Video from Biden at the G7 Summit:
White House Blames ‘Right-Wing Propaganda’ Bates accused “right-wing propaganda” of mischaracterizing the video in several posts on X.
“He’s congratulating one of the divers and giving a thumbs up,” Bates explained on X. The original viral clip showed a uniformed person in the lower corner, appearing to pack a parachute.
What is the G7 Summit? The Group of Seven (G7) consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. The annual summit is being held in the Puglia region of Italy from Thursday to Saturday.
Biden is meeting with other leaders featured in the skydiving video, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The European Union also participates in G7 Summit discussions.
Biden Signs Ukraine Security Agreement at G7 Summit On the first day of this year’s G7 Summit, Biden signed an agreement to pledge military support to Ukraine in its war with Russia over the next 10 years. However, that deal could fall apart if Donald Trump is elected in November.
The agenda for Friday includes discussions on immigration and economic security, as reported by Reuters. Pope Francis also led a discussion on artificial intelligence.
China is also expected to be a major discussion point. The summit ends Saturday, but Biden is scheduled to leave Friday evening, skipping a final news conference planned for Saturday.
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