As the upcoming general election approaches, officials from the White House are dismissing a series of viral videos circulating on social media that depict President Biden as having declining mental acuity, labeling them as “cheap fakes.” In contrast, a conservative tech expert argues that these videos are genuinely concerning and suggests that the White House’s reaction is part of a broader effort to pressure social media platforms into taking action against such content.
Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the White House, stated to Fox News Digital, “The discredited right-wing critics who continue to spread lies, including claims that the 2020 election was stolen, are threatened by the nonpartisan fact-checkers who have debunked these cheap fake smears. They prefer not to engage with President Biden’s agenda, which includes tax cuts for working families and efforts to reduce violent crime.”
Bates emphasized the reaction from mainstream reporters, including those from The Washington Post, NBC News, and PolitiFact, who have highlighted misinformation experts deconstructing these videos. He asserted that this response speaks volumes about the integrity of the administration’s stance.
Recently, videos featuring President Biden at various events have surfaced, with some depicting him as “confused.” One video shows him turning away from a group of world leaders at a D-Day anniversary event in France to speak to a parachutist. Another video portrays him appearing uncertain about when to sit down, while another shows him being guided off the stage by former President Obama at a fundraising event.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that these videos are “cheap fakes.” According to the Media Manipulation Case Book, this term refers to “altered media” that does not require advanced technology, such as photoshopping or video editing techniques like speeding or slowing footage. Jean-Pierre highlighted the term’s origin from media outlets and fact-checkers and stressed the importance of calling out such misinformation.
However, not everyone is convinced by this explanation. Jake Denton, a tech researcher from the Heritage Foundation, described the White House’s response as part of a broader strategy using “election slogans and buzzwords” to pressure social media platforms into action.
“It’s evident what’s happening,” Denton told Fox News Digital. “The administration is pushing a new term within the realm of misinformation to encourage social media companies to remove these videos.”
Denton pointed out that the term “cheap fake” is being promoted just a week before President Biden is scheduled to debate former President Trump, the leading GOP candidate in the upcoming election. He argued that the administration is setting the stage to categorize these videos as misinformation, thereby enabling takedown requests to social media platforms.
Furthermore, Denton criticized the credibility of “misinformation experts,” labeling them as part of a “pseudo-science” born from “digital politics.” He argued that these experts often come from failed academic backgrounds and have found a niche in independent fact-check websites, organizations, and media outlets.
“Ultimately, there’s little scientific basis to their work,” Denton remarked. “While expertise is needed in deepfake production, assessing ‘cheap fakes’ or general misinformation on social media is not a rigorous scientific or professional task.”
Denton contended that the administration’s goal is to mislead the American public into doubting the accuracy of what they see on social media. He asserted that the videos genuinely reflect President Biden’s current cognitive state and encouraged people to evaluate the videos independently, dismissing the administration’s terminology as misleading.
“The videos are damning because they reveal the truth,” he concluded.
The debate over President Biden’s mental acuity has intensified following a report from the Washington Journal, which the White House has dismissed, revealing that several lawmakers on Capitol Hill have expressed concerns about Biden’s cognitive abilities based on their private interactions with him.