(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) During President Joe Biden’s address to the nation on Wednesday—his first official appearance since dropping his presidential campaign—viewers noted a substantial bruise on the left side of Biden’s jaw, prompting speculation that he may have been physically beaten, the Gateway Pundit reported.
Right-wing political commentator Robby Starbuck questioned whether or not the White House would bother to explain the bruise, or simply remain silent.
So, is the White House going to explain the big bruise on Biden’s lower jaw or pretend it doesn’t exist? I’m betting they pretend it doesn’t exist. pic.twitter.com/x02IKXGif8
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) July 25, 2024
“I’m betting they pretend it doesn’t exist,” he suggested.
Others noted how poorly the makeup team performed.
Investigative journalist Laura Loomer wondered aloud who or what might have caused the bruise.
What is the bruise on Biden’s chin from?
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 25, 2024
Considerable speculation has surrounded Biden’s weeklong leave of absence after he abruptly canceled a Las Vegas fundraising trip citing a coronavirus infection.
Biden, 81, did not appear, however, to be exhibiting any symptoms, nor was he adhering to any of the recommeneded precautionary measures provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for mitigating the spread of the deadly virus.
Following his surprise announcement last Sunday, the White House cleared his schedule, leaving some to wonder about his health and well-being. By Tuesday, those rumors had begun to center on whether he might even be gravely ill or dead.
Reports also suggested that Biden had not arrived at the decision to exit the presidential race on his own but had been coerced into doing so by party elites, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who threatened to invoke the 25th Amendment and have him declared unfit for office.
In his address, Biden attempted to reassure Americans that he was acting for “the cause of American democracy itself” by giving up his ambitions to help Democrats defeat Donald Trump, whom they are once again framing as the enemy of democracy.
“In recent weeks it has become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor,” Biden told viewers. “Nothing—nothing—can come in the way of saving democracy.”
Calling the current election cycle “a time and a place for new voices,” he concluded that he must step aside and let Vice President Kamala Harris try to ascend to the highest office in the nation.
Still, not all were convinced. Even liberal celebrity Piers Morgan excoriated Democrats for their unceremonious treatment of Biden—not to mention democracy itself.
Joe Biden didn’t ’pass the torch’ to Kamala Harris as he so disingenuously claimed in his sad, uninspiring address tonight. He had his presidency & career torched by Democrat arsonists Obama, Pelosi, Schumer, Clooney etc. pic.twitter.com/b2KjG3WnW5
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 25, 2024
“Joe Biden didn’t ‘pass the torch’ to Kamala Harris as he so disingenuously claimed in his sad, uninspiring address tonight,” Morgan wrote. “He had his presidency & career torched by Democrat arsonists Obama, Pelosia, Schumer, Clooney etc.”
As for the bruise—Biden would not be the first Democrat to resurface with a mysterious injury after visiting Sin City.
The late Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, donned an eye bandage in the waning days of his congressional career after claiming to have been the victim of a bathroom mishap involving an elastic exercise band.
Rumors swirled that the episode—which blinded him in one eye, as well as leaving him with several broken ribs and bones in his face—was either Mafia-related or was the result of a domestic tiff with his ne’er-do-well brother Larry during a drunken New Year’s Eve brawl.
Although Reid denied the rumors, speculation persisted that he was being less than forthcoming in his explanation for the injuries.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
