A video of President Joe Biden standing still during a Juneteenth event has been turned into a Taylor Swift-related meme—and it's gone viral.
The footage was uploaded by Fox News on X (formerly Twitter), which shows Biden standing still at the event while others around him, including Vice President Kamala Harris, dance to music playing.
It was eventually retweeted by the Swift fan account @thehopeofit4ll with the caption: "me at the eras tour realising taylor swift is real." At the time of writing, it had been viewed 1.3 million times.
Newsweek emailed Biden's press team and Swift's publicist for comment Friday.
People took to the comments to share how relatable they found the post, with one person writing: "Hahah me thinking: thats the real Taylor Swift, she is physically at the same place as me- during all the duration of the show."
me at the eras tour realising taylor swift is real pic.twitter.com/zuRAIu9R3l
— cal⸆⸉ 🍉 | no.1 vigilante sh*t enjoyer (@thehopeofit4ll) June 12, 2024
"I kept remembering she was real and actually in front of me every 5 minutes and tearing up [crying emoji]," someone else commented.
Another person added: "That was literally me some of the time just staring at her and not singing along. I was just taking in the experience. I'm sure I looked just like that. [crying emoji]."
Others used the opportunity to point out how unusual they found the clip.
"WHY IS HE NOT BLINKING," one X user asked.
"Looks like he's used the wrong glue on his dentures," said another.
Biden has long been criticized for his behavior in public, so it comes as no surprise the video of him—which garnered much scrutiny on social media when it was previously shared by the Republican National Committee amid claims Biden froze at the Juneteenth event—has again drawn attention.
The oldest person ever to be president, he faces accusations that he lacks the mental fitness for the position. Detractors have pointed to his verbal gaffes and frailty, such as stumbling on the steps of Air Force One, as evidence for his unsuitability for the role.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Biden didn't stop moving in the footage of the Juneteenth event; he just didn't dance.
In a statement shared with Newsweek, he said: "It tracks that one of the most fact-checked groups in politics would falsely claim someone who never stops moving in a clip 'froze' because they simply weren't dancing.
"There are others in the video doing the same. We've been worried about the RNC ever since they attacked President Biden for petting a hero dog, for liking ice cream; and for respecting his wife. We hope they get the support they need."
Swift is in the middle of her record-breaking Eras Tour, which consists of 152 shows across five continents. The tour began on March 17, 2023, and has already seen her play across the U.S., as well as in Australia, Asia, Mexico, and South America, before she arrived in Europe in the spring.
The pop superstar's tour ensemble includes 16 backup dancers, four vocalists and a dedicated live band. The three-and-a-half-hour show features 44 songs across 10 acts, with each "era" inspired by a different album and time in the singer's life. However, the set list was updated following the release of her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, in April.
Swift will make stops in Miami, New Orleans and Indianapolis after wrapping up the European part of her tour in the middle of August. She is scheduled to end her tour in Canada, with multiple shows in November and December. The tour is scheduled to conclude on December 8 in Vancouver, five days before her 35th birthday on December 13.
The Rest of Taylor Swift's Tour Dates
June 13-15: Liverpool, England
June 18: Cardiff, Wales
June 21-23: London, England
June 28-30: Dublin, Ireland
July 4-6: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
July 9-10: Zurich, Switzerland
July 13-14: Milan, Italy
July 17-19: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
July 23-24: Hamburg, Germany
July 27-28: Munich, Germany
August 1-3: Warsaw, Poland
August 8-10: Vienna, Austria
August 15-17,19-20: London, England
October 18-20: Miami, United States
October 25-27: New Orleans, United States
November 1-3: Indianapolis, United States
November 14-16, 21-23: Toronto, Canada
December 6-8: Vancouver, Canada
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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