A dispute has erupted over the New York Post's portrayal of President Joe Biden at a recent Los Angeles fundraiser, with the White House and former President Barack Obama's team calling the report misleading.
The Hill reported that the White House and former President Barack Obama's team have contested a New York Post report suggesting that President Biden required assistance on stage during a Los Angeles fundraiser.
The fundraiser, attended by prominent figures including Biden and Obama, took place in Los Angeles, California, and was hosted by late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel. The event successfully raised over $30 million for their causes.
During the event's conclusion, both Biden and Obama were observed leaving the stage together. They waved goodbye to the attendees, a standard procedure at such gatherings. However, the portrayal by the New York Post suggested an unusual incident occurred during this routine departure.
The article in question claimed that President Biden appeared to "freeze up" and implied that he needed help from Obama to exit the stage. This depiction sparked a significant backlash from both the Whites when they emphasized that the presidents were simply engaging with the crowd.
Andrew Bates, the White House's senior deputy press secretary, strongly criticized the New York Post's report. Bates deflected by pointing to recent alleged instances where the media outlet was fact-checked unfavorably by other news organizations over its coverage of Biden.
"Fresh off being fact-checked by at least 6 mainstream news organizations for lying about President Biden with cheap fakes, Rupert Murdoch’s sad little super PAC, the New York Post, is back to disrespecting its readers and itself once again by pretending the President taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds is somehow wrong. Their ethical standards could deal with a little unfreezing," Bates stated, expressing his disapproval of the newspaper's journalistic standards.
Adding to the defense, Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to former President Obama, took to the social media platform X to refute the claims made by the New York Post. Schultz's brief but assertive message, "this did not happen," directly challenged the accuracy of the report.
Of course, these two are attempting to discredit the New York Post when in reality there is video evidence of the claims being made. No amount of denial and "fact-checking" can cover up the fact that Biden can be seen on video appearing to be lost.
The incident raises questions about the responsibilities of the media in shaping public perceptions of political figures. The difference in narratives between various media outlets can significantly influence public understanding and opinions about political events.
As Biden and Obama continue to appear together in public events, the scrutiny of their interactions is likely to persist, with each action being closely watched and variously interpreted by different segments of the media.
In conclusion, the disputed portrayal of President Biden's departure from the Los Angeles fundraiser highlights the ongoing challenges faced by public figures in managing media narratives.
It underscores the need for media consumers to consider multiple sources and perspectives when interpreting news stories. Both the White House and Obama's adviser have categorically denied the claims made by the New York Post, reinforcing the fact that partisan individuals will go to any length to deny hard evidence.
