President Biden did something a little bit bizarre during a live interview on a major news network the other day – he just got up and walked straight off.
Well, it’s definitely one way to get people to stop talking to you.
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However, it’s probably not the best look if you’re the leader of the free world and you’re running for re-election next year.
President Biden – who is prone to a gaffe or two, at times – was being interviewed on MSNBC on Thursday, but got up out of his chair and started to leave the studio whilst the cameras were still rolling and they hadn’t even cut away to a commercial break yet.
He stood up, shook hands incredibly awkwardly with host Nicolle Wallace, then walked away after she’d thanked him for giving her the interview.
The 80-year-old Democrat doesn’t give many interviews, which is – you’d have to think – a perk of being the POTUS.
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You can usually find an excuse to say you’re busy.
“Don’t go anywhere,” Wallace told her viewers.
However, that clearly didn’t register with Joe. He was up and away, walking off the set behind her.
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Obviously, this sort of political faux-pas has been jumped upon by his rivals, who will do anything to attempt to make it seem as if Biden isn’t fit to govern.
“The Biden Presidency in one clip,” said Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker on Twitter.
“Bathroom run? Biden gets out of his seat before the commercials start and awkwardly walks off-set,” said Media Research Center associate editor Nicholas Fondacaro.
However, Biden has his defenders, too.
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Daily Beast senior reporter Justin Baragona said: “Biden didn't just wander off during a live interview.
“This was after the 20-minute interview was over, he had already shaken Nicolle Wallace's hand, and she was tossing it to commercial after they wrapped up.”
Those who have even a passing interest in British politics will remember that former Prime Minister David Cameron had a penchant for wandering away from interviewers awkwardly.
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He would sometimes just up and leave straight after the questions finished, so maybe Biden is just taking a leaf out of his book?
After all, they are – or were in Cameron’s case – both important world leaders.
Either way, it detracts from the content of the interview, which was at least partially about the Supreme Court’s ruling to outlaw affirmative action in higher education acceptance decisions.
“The vast majority of the American people don’t agree with a lot of the decisions this court is making,” Biden had said.
However, he didn’t back calls to stack the court with more liberal judges, stating: “I think it’s a mistake.
“If we do start the process of expanding the court, we’re going to politicize it maybe forever in a way that is not healthy.”
Topics: Joe Biden, Politics, Weird, Film and TV
Tom Wood