Joe Biden freezes at Juneteenth event before George Floyd’s brother intervenes
President Biden appeared confused as he froze for nearly a minute before his speech became slurred during a Juneteenth celebration at the White House.
US President Joe Biden sparked concerns on Monday night when he appeared to freeze for nearly a minute before his speech became slurred during a Juneteenth celebration at the White House.
During the event, held ahead of the national holiday next week, the 81-year-old President struggled as the rest of the crowd, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, enjoyed the lively band.
Philonise Floyd, the brother of the late George Floyd, stood next to Biden and noticed the pause, wrapping his arm around the President in an apparent effort to support him.
Floyd managed to get a response from Biden by offering a fist bump, which the President returned. However, Biden continued to struggle as he delivered a speech following the musical performance.
Despite Biden's noticeable pause, he delivered a message about Juneteenth, although his speech became slurred at points.
During a coherent portion of his address, Biden said: "The day reminds us that we have a helluva lot more work to do. Let's keep marching. Let's keep the faith."
Throughout most of the evening, Biden was visible in the front row, enjoying the concert from his seat while others in the audience stood and danced.
Vice President Kamala Harris also took part in the festivities, dancing with gospel singer Kirk Franklin in a moment that brought levity to the evening.
The event was hosted by actor Roy Wood Jr., who praised Biden and Harris for their work with the Black community. He also provided brief African American history lessons between musical performances.
“Lights are on but no one’s home,” the Trump campaign’s “war room” account posted on X.
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In 2021, Biden signed a law making June 19th a federal holiday, commemorating the day in 1865 when the last American slaves learned of their emancipation.
During his speech on Monday, Biden warned the black community of "old ghosts" in new outfits, referring to Republican efforts to restrict voting access.
Biden has recently faced scrutiny over his cognitive abilities, with a report from The Wall Street Journal detailing concerns from both Republican and Democrat lawmakers about his mental decline. The White House maintains that the 81-year-old President is performing his duties well, despite these concerns.
