Video of Joe Biden at D-Day ceremony is deceptively edited

Critics of Joe Biden are claiming a video shows him trying to sit down when there was no chair behind him during a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of D-Day. But the clip shared online is cut short to omit ensuing footage that proves there was a seat beneath the US president.

"Joe Biden tries to sit on a non-existent chair," says a June 6, 2024 post from "S p r i n t e r F a m i l y," an anonymous X account that AFP has repeatedly fact-checked for spreading disinformation.

The post features a brief clip of Biden -- standing between First Lady Jill Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron -- bending over as though he is preparing to sit.

The video quickly pinballed across X in multiple languages, amplified by conservative influencers such as commentator Kyle Becker and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro.

"Our commander-and-chief trying to sit in an imaginary chair on stage in front of the entire world. Lights on, but Biden’s not home. Embarrassing is an understatement…. THERE IS NO CHAIR !!" Pirro wrote in a since-deleted post.

Other prominent right-wing voices, including the Hodgetwins and Dave Rubin, alleged that Biden lost control of his bowels.

But the claims are false -- the latest disinformation designed to frame the Democrat, 81, as senile, confused and incapable of leading the nation ahead of November's presidential election.

The moment in question came shortly before US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke at an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, when tens of thousands of Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in northern France to fight Nazi Germany in what became a turning point in World War II.

Full livestream footage of the ceremony from The Times, a British newspaper, shows Biden started to sit as the music stopped, then paused to wait for Austin's introduction (archived here).

He fully sat down as Austin's name was called, along with the first lady and French president. The clip shared online is edited to leave out the part where Biden eventually took his seat.

Photos from the event also show Biden in his chair.

Biden delivered remarks after Austin, saying D-Day showed the need for international alliances and vowing never to abandon Ukraine in its fight against Russia -- a swipe at his election rival ex-president Donald Trump, who has publicly questioned the importance of organizations such as NATO.

"We're living in a time when democracy is more at risk across the world than at any point since the end of World War II," Biden said.

AFP contacted the White House for comment, but no response was forthcoming.

AFP has debunked other misrepresented videos of Biden here, here, here and here.