President Biden sparked backlash after rushing out of a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, leaving a celebrated war hero awkwardly alone on stage.
Biden, 80, quickly left the East Room after awarding the country’s highest military honor to Larry Taylor, 81, a retired army captain celebrated for his heroics during the Vietnam War.
But while Taylor shed a tear as the medal was pinned to his lapel, Biden seemed less moved by the moment he reportedly left before the final benediction was read.
While many have reacted furiously, some have speculated that the commander-in-chief was trying to throw the spotlight on the veteran, leading to an awkward moment where Taylor was left alone on stage.
The blunder came after Biden was previously criticized for removing his mask just before greeting Taylor, despite First Lady Jill Biden testing positive for Covid-19 the day before.
Biden’s swift escape is the latest in a long line of incidents that have led people to label him disrespectful to the troops, including an infamous moment when he repeatedly checked his watch during a ceremony honoring soldiers killed in an ISIS-K suicide bombing in Kabul. afghanistan in 2021.
President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honor to Captain Larry Taylor, a Vietnam War Army pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team on the verge of being overrun by the enemy
Moments after being awarded the country’s highest military decoration, Taylor was left uncomfortably alone on stage as Biden hurriedly left
Biden rewarded Taylor, a retired army captain, for his bravery during the Vietnam War, where in June 1968 he risked his life for his comrades in the jungle.
The helicopter pilot was awarded the award for his role in rescuing a squadron surrounded by enemy forces, flying through gunfire while shelling ground troops for nearly an hour.
With his ammunition running low, Taylor descended to the battlefield and retrieved the foot soldiers, saving them from certain death.
But while Taylor was full of emotion as he wiped away a tear as the medal was pinned to his lapel, Biden seemed less moved at the time.
His quick departure was condemned after the ceremony by military veterans, who claimed he showed a blatant disrespect for the veteran.
“Excuse me for my French… But what an idiot,” said former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan. “The continued disrespect Biden has for anyone is appalling.”
Ryan, a podcast host, also noted Biden’s recent performance in wildfire-stricken Hawaii as evidence of his apparent disrespect. In the incident, the president was initially criticized for “not commenting” on the crisis before giving a lengthy speech and leaving for a vacation to Lake Tahoe.
His most recent display of contempt has sparked a wave of anger online among military supporters, with a daughter of a deceased colonel at Arlington Cemetery condemning him for “left (Taylor) alone on stage.”
“He hates our army,” she concluded.
What’s with Biden? He continues to show disrespect to our men and women in uniform,” said another stunned viewer.
“Here I leave a Medal of Honor recipient alone on stage while he searches for the exit. There’s nothing honorable about this president.”
While many were outraged, Texas congressman Wesley Hunt, an army veteran, made light of the apparent disrespect by pointing to Biden’s previous blunder at the 2021 Afghanistan ceremony, saying, “At least he hasn’t got it on his watch this time.” looked.’
The president has come under increasing scrutiny for his advanced age in recent months as his reelection campaign intensifies, with military account Military Arms also targeting his age on X, formerly Twitter.
“Do you think this was done on purpose or is it just more senile moments? I think the man is so self-centered that he makes these kinds of blunders.
“God, this man is a huge disgrace to our nation,” he said.
President Biden was also criticized for removing his face mask during the ceremony, despite the First Lady testing positive for Covid-19 the day before
President Joe Biden remains negative on COVID, while Jill Biden, a teacher, missed the first day of school after testing positive
Earlier at the ceremony, Biden raised his eyebrows as he removed his face mask while standing next to the 81-year-old war hero, despite his wife Jill testing positive for Covid-19 the day before.
The president entered the room wearing a black face mask, but decided to remove it before the ceremony began.
He then remained maskless for several minutes while standing next to Taylor. The president remains negative after testing Monday night and Tuesday morning and is showing no symptoms.
Ahead of the event, the White House said he would follow CDC guidelines, as Press Secretary Karine Hean-Pierre said he would remove them only if there was “enough” distancing from others.
“He will mask indoors and around people, in accordance with CDC guidelines and as has been the practice in the past.
“The president will remove his mask if there is sufficient distance from others, both inside and outside,” she said before the ceremony on Tuesday.
The president didn’t put his mask back on when he left the East Room, but did give a thumbs up when asked how his wife was, saying she was “fine.”
His decision to take the mask off left viewers scratching their heads, with one woman commenting, “I’m floored by his behavior. There’s no point in walking in masked and then exposing and endangering everyone.’
“I hope their families sue if they get sick,” said another critic.
Biden escorts the Medal of Honor recipient to the East Room in a mask, which he was later criticized for removing
In 2021, President Joe Biden came under fire for appearing to be checking his watch during the ‘dignified transfer’ to US soil of the 13 US troops killed in a Kabul suicide bombing
The claim that he was disrespectful to the troops comes two years after the infamous moment when Biden appeared to check his watch during the “dignified handover” to US soil of the 13 US troops killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul.
After he interrupted the solemn moment to glance at his wristwatch, a slew of military veterans spoke out to lament his behavior.
“It seems he was inconvenienced by having to show some respect for these American heroes (sic),” wrote Desert Storm Army veteran Samuel Williams.
Submarine veteran J Larry Hanna wrote, “Biden had to look at his watch as the boxes passed in front of him. Does he have something more important?’
Another veteran wrote, “After a fallen soldier passes, Biden shows his true, incredibly disrespectful soul, looking at his watch as if he must be somewhere else. I am so angry, this is a personal blow to all veterans and active duty.”