President Joe Biden’s return to the White House this week raised eyebrows, as visible injuries and slurred speech sparked curiosity and concern. After a five-day vacation in St. Croix, followed by additional time spent in Wilmington, Del., and Camp David, Biden arrived back in Washington on Thursday, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, his son Hunter, Hunter’s wife, and their young son, Beau. Hunter’s other daughter, Navy Joan Roberts, was not with them.
Joe Biden is no stranger to being on vacation. In September, the New York Post calculated that he had spent as much time on vacation during his presidency as the average American would over the course of 48 years. What made this vacation different, however, is that two significant attacks occurred — in Las Vegas and New Orleans — while the president was out of town, leading many to criticize Biden’s prolonged absence and delayed response.
On Wednesday, he briefly addressed the attacks from Camp David. “The situation is very fluid, and the investigation is at a preliminary stage,” Biden said in his remarks. “And the fact is that right now — excuse me — there you go — the law enforcement and intelligence community are continuing to look for any connections, associations, or coconspirators.”
Biden took no questions, but his appearance raised some new ones. Newsmax reporter James Rosen called out Biden’s noticeably slurred speech and unexplained injuries, including a cut near his lip, a bruise on his chin, and a disfigured jawline.
The White House declined to comment on the injuries, offering no explanation for their cause. Adding to the mystery, the administration canceled a scheduled press briefing, further limiting the public’s access to information.
On Thursday, during remarks at the White House about the attacks, Biden sounded hoarse as he claimed he had met with his Homeland Security team and Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the events. “I've just come from the meeting — not just to spend, while we prepare these remarks, better part of an hour — from my Homeland Security team. The number of people killed in New Orleans has risen to 15, including the attacker, 35 people were injured today. The FBI briefed me that, as of now, no information — we have no information that anyone else is involved in the attack.”
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His brief address lacked focus, with Biden abruptly shifting topics after just a few minutes and even seeming rather insensitive and disconnected from the situation. He made a shockingly tone-deaf remark about the Sugar Bowl, stating that he needed to “get this damn thing done” so he could watch the game.
“Like I said last night, New Orleans is a city of tremendous spirit. You can't keep it down. You really can't. And we're seeing that today. The Sugar Bowl is back on. Kickoff is going to take off very shortly. If I don't get this damn thing done, we're going to be in real trouble,” he said.
It was truly a bizarre moment, given the serious nature of the attacks and the need for decisive leadership.
We’re used to Biden slurring his speech, but the lack of transparency surrounding his new injuries and his apparent detachment during a moment of national crisis is truly concerning.
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