'Is he in costume?' Video of trembling Joe Biden handing out Halloween candy goes viral
WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden hosted a Halloween event at the White House on Monday night, October 30, where he distributed candy to trick-or-treaters for nearly 90 minutes.
However, what caught the attention of many was the noticeable trembling in his hand as he handed out presidency-themed M&Ms and Hershey's Kisses to the children. At one point, he even dropped a child's candy while his hand was shaking, but quickly recovered and offered a replacement candy to the child.
Biden drops the candy after he is startled by a child's Halloween costume pic.twitter.com/6J5XGIBjEm
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 30, 2023
During the event, one child playfully showed the president their fake ice cream cones, and in a lighthearted moment, Biden pretended to eat one of the cones. Reporters on the scene asked the president what he was dressed up as, as he wore a black jacket and baseball cap, but Biden did not provide a response.
"What are you going as, Mr. President? What's your costume?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 30, 2023
BIDEN: ............. pic.twitter.com/2PlgtGCrGN
The weather was quite chilly, with temperatures at 58 degrees in Washington, DC, and the 80-year-old president stood outside for the Halloween celebration.
Joe Biden mocked on social media
After a clip of President Biden's hand tremors and candy incident went viral, social media was inundated with jokes and political takes.
"Gosh. He’s really trembling," one posted on X (formerly Twitter).
"I’m just curious why the crypt keeper is handing out candy and where’s Joe Biden?" another wondered.
"That’s cute tho… he dressed up as a zombie," another quipped.
"Oh look! He dressed up as the worst President in American History!" a comment read.
"Joe Biden is so incompetent, he can’t even handle the simple task of handing out candy," another wrote.
I’m just curious why the crypt keeper is handing out candy and where’s Joe Biden?
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) October 31, 2023
Oh look! He dressed up as the worst President in American History!
— MacSweaty (@TheMacSweaty) October 31, 2023
Joe Biden is so incompetent, he can’t even handle the simple task of handing out candy
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 31, 2023
pic.twitter.com/5SSYYKCaJe
Halloween at the White House
The White House was adorned with Halloween decorations, including a cardboard cutout of their dog Commander, who has notoriously attacked several Secret Service agents and White House staff
The decorations also featured an illustration of their cat Willow, who First Lady Jill Biden dressed up as this year. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre joined the event wearing angel wings and a halo, reading the book 'First Broom.'
The White House grounds featured pumpkins, gourds, haybales, corn stalks, and yellow and orange mums on the South Lawn. The fountain was turned into a witch's cauldron with fake bubbles.
A large full moon with a witch flying in front of it adorned the Truman Balcony. Cardboard cutouts of Willow and Commander were displayed on the South Portico, along with stacks of cardboard books.
Cabinet agencies also participated in the event, setting up booths to hand out candy. The Education Department gave out Smarties, the Secret Service allowed kids to sit in one of their cruisers, and the State Department distributed gummy bears.
Various cookies, including ones shaped like carrots and ones with green monster faces, were available as snacks. Warm apple cider was provided for those in attendance.
The Halloween event took place amidst a cold snap spreading across the United States, affecting regions in the Midwest, South, and East. Frost and freeze alerts covered approximately 60 million Americans, while an additional 200 million were expected to experience unseasonably cold weather due to the ongoing cold-air phenomenon.
The cold snap began on Monday and was set to reach its peak later in the week, marking the start of official holiday weather in many parts of the country.