Significant Surge in Media Depicting Biden's Age and Competence on X

As White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismisses speculation that President Biden froze at a recent fundraising event, PeakMetrics detected a significant surge in media depicting Biden's age and competence on X, formerly Twitter.

Over the last two weeks, PeakMetrics tracked an 1812% increase in videos, photos, and gifs on X portraying President Biden as old and incompetent or defending him from such claims. Biden’s recent appearances at Juneteenth and D-Day celebrations fueled this increase.

Over the last year, PeakMetrics also detected two previous events that sparked similar week-long periods of increased video, photo, and gif activity on X. Notably, these events often triggered users to provide other historical or recent instances in which Biden appeared to be old and incompetent.

RECENT WEEKLY INCREASES

Juneteenth Celebration (June 2024):

In this period, discussions surrounding Juneteenth, combined with Biden’s participation in related events, likely spurred a notable increase in social media activity. This period included key dates on June 11th and June 18th, when Biden’s involvement in Juneteenth celebrations was prominently covered.

Total Posts (June 11 to June 18): 302,205
Exceedance Count: 288,758 (2147.37% above the average of equivalent time periods excluding +6 days from the key events)

Normandy Visit (June 2024):

During this period, Joe Biden visited Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, an event that garnered considerable media coverage. The historical significance of Normandy, combined with Biden’s high-profile presence, likely fueled discussions and critiques on social media, leading to a marked increase in posts referencing his age and competence. While many posts around this event denigrated Biden for his age and competence, defenders of Biden pointed out that some of the videos had been doctored or taken out of context.

Total Posts (June 6 to June 12): 211,910
Exceedance Count: 197,928 (1415.61% above the average of equivalent time periods excluding +6 days from the key events)

PREVIOUS WEEKLY INCREASES

State of the Union Address (March 7, 2024):

The days surrounding the State of the Union Address showed a significant spike in X (Twitter) activity. The State of the Union is a major political event, and Biden’s performance and announcements during this address likely sparked intense scrutiny and debate, contributing to a surge in relevant Twitter mentions. Many of the posts related to the State of the Union claim the event showed Biden was sharp rather than old, countering the narrative of incompetence.

Total Posts (March 7 to March 13): 314,170
Exceedance Count: 300,188 (2146.99% above the average of equivalent time periods excluding +6 days from the key events)

Special Counsel Decision (February 2024):

The days and circumstances surrounding the Special Counsel’s decision not to press charges against President Biden saw a substantial rise in Twitter posts relating to the President’s age and aptitude. This decision, along with the accompanying public and media reactions, significantly influenced the volume of social media discussions claiming Biden was too old and inept for office.

Total Posts (February 8 to February 14): 315,664
Exceedance Count: 301,682 (2157.68% above the average of equivalent time periods excluding +6 days from the key events)

*Scope: Analysis covered 365 days and 5,679,451 English-speaking posts on X (Twitter).

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