US President Biden sparks confusion, health concerns after bizarre handshake with thin air

US President Joe Biden, 79, on Friday left the Americans muddled after he appeared to shake hands with the invisible thin air following a “God bless you all” sign off during his address at a North Carolina university. Shortly after winding up a nearly 40-minute speech at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, Biden turned towards his right, stretched his hand and mumbled words, made the gesture of a handshake, leaving the crowd looking stunned.

There was no one on the stage, and neither did any member of the crowd approach the US president around the area where he delivered his speech. 

Biden, though, appeared to be interacting to thin air onto his right as his remarks, aimed at pushing the US Congress to increase funding for semiconductors production under the Bipartisan Innovation Act, concluded. In some context, Biden, during the beginning of his speech did shake hands with Malcolm Hawkins, an electrical engineering student.

The latter, however, did not show up on the stage towards the end of the US President’s speech. In a strong reaction to his latest unexplained gesture, Conservative lawmakers slammed what they described as “disgraceful behaviour” on part of the President. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted an eye roll alongside footage of the air handshake of President Biden. 

Biden makes untrue claims 'I served full-time professor at University of Pennsylvania'

Biden during his speech also made bizarre and non-relatable claims that he had served as a “full-time professor” at the University of Pennsylvania despite that he had never taught a class at the institute. Biden’s recent acts have also spurred concerns about his cognitive abilities and medical wellbeing online as he is the oldest ever American leader to serve in his position. Many online questioned US President’s mental state.

Harmeet K. Dhillon, former vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party wrote on Twitter, “Where are the White House and Biden family handlers whose job it is to make him look good?” She added, “This is truly bizarre unless they want him to look like a dementia patient.”

“The music makes it 10x worse. This man is unfit to be President. Period,” Robby Starbuck, a run mate for Congress in Tennessee's upcoming Republican standoff said. 

Just last week, as Biden confirmed the Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, he mumbled during his speech, “America is a great nation. I was in the foothills of the Himalayas travelling with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, that's when I travelled 17,000 miles when I was Vice President. I don't know that for a fact.” As he deviated unexpectedly from the speech, he was looked at with confusion by his Vice President Kamala Harris and the press.