Stop the Charade

Charade was a 1963 movie produced and directed by Stanley Donen and starring Hollywood icons Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. A rare film that spanned three different cinematic genres – suspense thriller, romance, and comedy – it also co-starred such movie mainstays as Walter Matthau, James Coburn, and George Kennedy. Add a musical score co-written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer and it’s no wonder the film was a critical and box office smash.

Speaking of smashed – how’s that for a segue? – the only plausible explanation for Joe Biden’s discombobulated wreath-laying debacle at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day is that he had had one (better make that six) drinks too many before making his grand entrance. In case you missed it, Sleepy Joe staggered to the tomb, forgot to salute the attending officer, turned, shuffled a few more feet, and then did an abrupt and unscripted about-face.

Unable to mask his confusion (seriously, take a look at the photo BOMB yourself), Geritol Joe looked plaintively at the officer for help. Too courteous to leave his Commander-in-Chief hanging in the breeze, the officer graciously pointed President Biden back to his spot in line next to Vice President Kamala Harris, who appeared to be smirking and holding back a few of her infamous giggles. Meanwhile, the gentleman to Harris’s left visibly lowered his head in embarrassment.

Don’t think for a minute that our friends and allies around the world didn’t notice how weak, frail, and confused the supposed leader of the Free World looked. The Daily Mail, the most widely circulated newspaper in the United Kingdom, printed the disturbing photos under the headline: “Biden suffers ANOTHER embarrassing gaffe as he stumbles through Veterans Day service and appears to get lost while laying a wreath.”

India Today posted a video of the service online with the caption: “Biden takes honor guard’s help at wreath-laying, termed ‘confused.’” It also used the words “disoriented” and “befuddled” to describe Mr. Biden’s “not ready for prime time” appearance.

If that is how America’s allies reported the event, just imagine how our enemies perceived it. What they saw in living color was America’s Chief Executive looking like he forgot to take his meds that morning… and couldn’t function without them.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, posters had a field day, calling the President’s performance “so embarrassing” and saying tongue-in-cheek that “our enemies must be shaking in their boots.” More like chomping at the bit, which is what I imagine Chinese President Xi Jinping’s reaction was ahead of this week’s economic summit in San Francisco.

Do you remember the old Energizer Bunny commercials where a mechanical monkey powered by a competitor’s battery stops clanging its cymbals while the drum-playing Bunny “keeps going and going?” Well, that is exactly what I picture every time I see President Biden mumble into a mic, speak incoherently to a reporter, or walk in baby steps across the White House lawn to board Marine One. His battery is obviously running out and there is simply no recharging it.

Friends, the world is a very dangerous place these days, more so than ever before in human history. To have a healthy and fully functioning octogenarian occupying the Oval Office would be bad enough, but Mr. Biden is clearly neither. And so, the question begs to be asked: How long will this charade continue?

I know, I know… be careful what you wish for, Dale. After all, do you really want Kamala Harris sitting behind the Resolute Desk… or a Progressive ideologue like Gavin Newsom calling the shots at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

The frying pan into the fire, anyone?