That video of President Biden catching a power nap during his meeting with Israel’s prime minister has taken off on social media today, but CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale doesn’t rest on weekends and has already fact-checked the claim, explaining that it’s “nonsense” that Biden fell asleep.
The thing is, the video wouldn’t have gone viral if Biden hadn’t done whatever he was doing. Dale says the full video tells the story, but we posted the full video in our earlier piece on this, and it shows Biden blanking out or something for a full 30 seconds with the prime minister is talking.
This "Biden asleep" stuff is nonsense. Full vid https://t.co/1jC9JjOXag shows: 1) Biden talking; 2) Biden looking at Bennett; 3) Biden looking downward, his hands moving, starting right when Bennett mentioned this week's "difficult days"; 4) Biden immediately replying to Bennett. pic.twitter.com/dJ9dLsoiTY
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 28, 2021
H/t to @daveweigel for pointing out that this silliness was percolating. https://t.co/0R20i0hZha
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 28, 2021
We also noted that Biden was fidgeting with his hands … toward the very end of the 30-second mediation session.
Check these excuses for Biden’s odd behavior, which go against Dale’s claim:
Still photos of me singing frequently show my eyes closed. It happens; they haven't convinced me that I've fallen asleep singing.
— Centrist Sisyphus (@Byedon2) August 28, 2021
Most, if not all of us have had a still photo taken right at the moment we blinked. Are we all sleeping?
— BabyNP 🇺🇸 May God Protect Our Troops (@nnp_chrissy) August 28, 2021
How many people who watch TV with a DVR haven't paused when the person on the screen looked like they were sleeping?
— Racnad (@Racnad) August 28, 2021
So someone paused their DVR while Biden had his head down to make it look like he was sleeping, or at least totally unresponsive to what the prime minister was saying. Maybe it’s just us, but isn’t it customary to look at someone when you’re having a conversation with them?
The fact that you have to explain this…
— Jeff S (@stew_hain) August 28, 2021
He may not be asleep but he's hardly animated is he?
— Father Jack (@urcrazytoo) August 28, 2021
Calm down.
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) August 28, 2021
Total nonsense pic.twitter.com/ue0MyZN1EK
— Felix Martinez (@poPs3910) August 28, 2021
so biden was just being disengaged and rude then.
— ****** (@Misshalfstep) August 28, 2021
I can assure you, as a neurosurgeon, Biden has moderate dementia. Please read some medical journal articles on cognitive function following clip ligation/craniotomy for aneurysm.
— Garrett Powell (@GarrettsBrain) August 28, 2021
He was definitely sleeping, liar.
— Dr. Mike Hunt, PhD, MBA, CFA, CPA, JD, CEO (@DrMikeHuntPhD) August 28, 2021
He was asleep.
— The Saturday Smoker (@TheDutchPig) August 28, 2021
Dude. He's asleep.
— Charles Ulysses Farley (@GlenPronghorn) August 28, 2021
Sorry man. Just watched it again. I saw his thumb twitch but head bowed and eyes closed. Head definitely not moving for 30 seconds on the clip. If not sleeping certainly impolite to speaker. Most likely nodding off. It happens. Especially to older folks.
— Tarr and Fether (@RomanGrandeur) August 28, 2021
His eyes are closed and he is not engaged.
— Deplorable1 (@Deplorable555) August 28, 2021
FFS, look the man in the eye. Is this the diplomacy everyone was expecting?
— SowellFood (@SowellFood) August 28, 2021
Not nonsense. At this point he is clearly either asleep or half asleep. His eyes closed, no reaction whatever.
— Newsgatherer (@GroupToStopHate) August 28, 2021
Pay attention! Biden alternates between focus and distraction. He moves papers around. He constantly shifts positions. He plays with his tie. He looks down for 45s in what looks like a doze. And, yes, SOMETIMES he looks at the PM.
Not a good look, whether sleeping or not.
— Bro-Magnon (@asietaihan) August 28, 2021
He may not be asleep, but he sure doesn't look well. How about investigating his mental and physical health without parroting back whatever the WH talking points are.
— Fall Line Guy (@falllineguy) August 28, 2021
Looked to me like he was nodding off. What did Israeli media say about it?
— Tarr and Fether (@RomanGrandeur) August 28, 2021
Israel said he fell asleep you liberal clown
— Mike U (@Ukes1414) August 28, 2021
It's really eye opening that you continually play defense for democrats. It makes everything very clear for those of us with brains.
— John (@John_Faker) August 28, 2021
This is the only kind of fact checking you do when it comes to the president
— adam c ❁ (@well_ya_know_) August 28, 2021
Always carrying the water for sleepy Joe. So amusing. 😂
— JOLLY ROGER 🏴☠️ i identify as Vaccinated 😉 (@gmandan007) August 28, 2021
Daniel won't fact-check Biden, but he'll fact-check jokes at Biden's expense. https://t.co/LdjX5oWyDR
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) August 28, 2021
Maybe fact check some other Biden stuff
— Michael Steven (@cashpiano) August 28, 2021
Wow, someone must have woken up @ddale8. Funny, he only seems to “fact check” one side of the coin.
— C.A.M (@6string_junkie) August 28, 2021
Daniel, did you fact check any of Biden's claims in the past two weeks? If not, why not? Why focus on this stuff which really doesn't matter?
— DeadYup (@DeadYup1) August 28, 2021
You will look back at this job somewhere down the road and figure out what a dimwit you are to believe what you say… god bless your kids… if you have any
— Cathy Yanniello (@cathy1500) August 28, 2021
Let’s go with Dale’s fact-check. Biden wasn’t asleep … it only appeared to countless people that he nodded off for a bit because that’s exactly what it looked like.
Related:
‘Sleeping or thinking?’: President Biden appears to be catching a power nap during meeting with Israel’s prime minister https://t.co/HlUfqKC2sn
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 28, 2021
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