Screengrab of video shows Biden raising his thumb, away from the group of G7 leaders
Credit: X/@BGatesIsaPyscho
A video clip showing US President Joe Biden appearing to have wandered off from the group of G7 leaders while they were posing for a picture during the meet in Italy turns out to have been edited.
The unedited video shows the US President was appreciating a skydiving flags ceremony.
That said, Biden is no stranger to gaffes, and was seen awkwardly giving a salute to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after he landed.
In the edited and untrue video, which was shared online, Biden could be seen walking away from the group of leaders before the Italian PM notices and guides him back to take a photograph. The clip shows Biden smiling, and moving away a few feet before he shows an enthusiastic thumbs-up to someone. However, when the camera moves towards him, nobody else can be seen in that direction.
In the unedited video, it can be seen that the thumbs-up is directed towards one of the participants in the skydiving event.
Another video of his interaction with Meloni, upon arrival, has also gone viral where the US President is seen shuffling to the stage and echanging pleasantries with Meloni. After talking for some time, he raises his hand to his forehead, saluting her, before he slowly walks off stage.
Biden's most recent incident comes after he was mocked by Republicans for appearing to be virtually motionless for almost a minute while a musical performance was on at the White House. While Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, who were next to Biden, appeared to be dancing and laughing through the show, the president's gaze was fixated and he appeared frozen.
His rivals have often mocked him in an attempt to discredit Biden as a viable president choice, due to his advanced age, as the US heads to polls.
This is not the first time the US leader has had an awkward moment with other world leaders either. In February, Biden confused French President Emmanuel Macron's name with Francois Mitterrand - the former leader who has been dead for almost three decades. In a similar snafu, he referred to VP Harris as 'President'.