Biden's TV appearance branded a 'disaster' with 'evasive and childlike' props

27 February 2024 , 15:45

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Joe Biden made a surprise appearance on the 10th anniversary of Late Night With Seth Meyers (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

President Joe Biden made a surprise TV interview as he marked the 10th anniversary of 'Late Night With Seth Meyers' - but one expert has branded his appearance a "disaster" with the use of "childlike" and "evasive" props.

The 81-year-old came out with jokes aplenty on Monday night as he spoke to Meyers about topics ranging from Taylor Swift to the upcoming presidency elections and Donald Trump. At one point, Biden claimed that a potential 2024 endorsement by Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce is “classified” information.

While he also laughed off concerns about his age - he is the US's oldest-serving president - and said that japed that Trump is "about as old as I am". He also took a swipe at his predecessor and blamed him for the ongoing crisis at the US-Mexico border.

READ MORE: Joe Biden names date of Israel-Hamas ceasefire within days - and says 'we're close'

Biden in shades with guest Amy Poehler (Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Image)

After the interview the president posed with Meyers for a mint chip ice cream from Van Leeuwen, while the presenter went for a honeycomb flavour. But Biden's attempt to appear at ease with the sweet treat backfired, according to body language expert Judi James.

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She observed: "Biden posed with two props here plus made one comedy run in a bid to look current and relaxed. Unfortunately it was two props too many in body language and PR terms. An ice cream cone is any politician’s nightmare prop and this did prompt the question why Biden agreed to pose with it. Ice cream gets messy and it drips or you eat it and are seen doing licking rituals, which can look ill-advised in any stills."

The president shared a 'childlike' ice cream with Meyers (AFP via Getty Images)

During the ice cream, Biden told reporters that he hoped for a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas by as early as next Monday. However, his choice of such a light-hearted surrounding in delivering some potentially important news, that could affect thousands of lives, was slammed as ill-thought-out.

Judi explained: "An ice cream demands attention and it looks childlike, which is why it was totally the wrong prop to hold when discussing a serious issue like a cease-fire." Analysing Biden's movements, the body language expert also noted his caution when holding the ice cream and slowness in eating it, which all amounted to a displaying a lack of confidence.

Biden ate his ice cream very slowly (AFP via Getty Images)

She said: "After a curtailed, tortoise-like attempt to eat it Biden ended up holding it gingerly despite walking out towards his questioner in what should have been a display of confidence." Earlier on in the interview, Meyers pressed Biden on whether he's too old to run the country as he prepares for another likely showdown with Trump in November's 2024 elections.

After joking that his age was "classified" he went on to say that Trump couldn't even remember the name of his wife after the former president praised his wife Melania as the same time as also referencing a "Mercedes". Many social media users were confused but he was later believed to be talking about Mercedes Schlapp, his former aide who was at the Conservative Political Action Conference he was visiting.

Biden appeared in good spirits on the show (AFP via Getty Images)

Biden walked on to Meyer's show wearing shades but this was viewed as doing nothing more than creating an "evasive" barrier between him and the audience. Judi went on: "The shades were a similar disaster as any eye barrier or eye conceal or cut-off will suggest someone is being evasive at best. Biden’s comedy entrance put him on a front foot though as he got to appear to cheers and play a little visual gag, walking out with his hands splayed before performing his signature mock-jogging run to the stage, which always seems performed to prove how fit and sprightly he still is."

Body language expert Judi James pulled apart Biden's appearance on the show (AFP via Getty Images)

He gave Seth a "presidential" double-handshake but again, was called out for showing his age as he gently sat down on the chair. Judi said: "His double-handed shake with the host looked presidential but the slow, gingerly lowering of his torso onto his seat did seem to delete the memory of the ‘youthful’ jogging entrance," before adding, "His enunciation still sounds poor in these clips."

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Steven White