Credibility Crisis: Media embraced Biden White House's 'cheap fakes' narrative leading up to ill-fated debate

The Biden White House and its allies successful the legacy media were fundamentally telling voters not to judge their lying eyes successful 2024 erstwhile pushing the now-infamous "cheap fakes" narrative. 

A caller publication detailing Biden’s cognitive diminution has dominated headlines and has reignited scrutiny of however the media shielded the then-presumptive Democratic nominee, peculiarly erstwhile it came to his age. 

In the weeks starring up to the disastrous statement performance exposing his cognitive diminution connected the satellite stage, Biden went viral connected aggregate occasions successful videos his critics said showed him losing his faculties. The archetypal was of him appearing wholly frozen portion others danced astir him astatine Juneteenth solemnisation astatine the White House. The 2nd was of him appearing to rotation disconnected astatine the G-7 Summit distant from different satellite leaders portion trying to prosecute with paratroopers, lone to beryllium corralled by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The 3rd was Biden's freezing infinitesimal astatine an L.A. fundraiser which showed erstwhile President Barack Obama escorting him offstage.  

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The bequest media embraced "cheap fakes" communicative depicting the videos of then-President Joe Biden arsenic senile were manipulated by conservatives. (Getty Images)

It wasn't until the second that the Biden White House latched onto the word "cheap fakes" to picture the viral videos they said were misleading and peddled by right-wing foes of the then-presumptive Democratic nominee. 

"I deliberation you person each called this the ‘cheap fakes’ video. And that's precisely what they are," White House property caput Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters astatine a property briefing past June. "They're done successful atrocious faith."

Jean-Pierre was apt referring to The Washington Post, a pioneer successful dismissing Biden's viral moments arsenic "cheap fakes." 

The Post utilized "cheap fakes" to shield Biden from scrutiny arsenic aboriginal arsenic July 2022 in a information check accusing an RNC societal media station of coating "a misleading representation of intelligence fitness" based connected a viral infinitesimal Biden had portion successful Israel. It defined "cheap fakes" arsenic "the signifier of misrepresenting events that instrumentality spot successful a video by adding oregon leaving retired context."

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Fast-forward to June 2024, erstwhile The Post published a lengthy report combating Republicans sharing embarrassing clips of Biden during his travel to Normandy, including erstwhile helium awkwardly paused portion bending to beryllium down arsenic others remained standing. 

"Such deceptively edited videos, known arsenic ‘cheap fakes,’ person go staples of Republican attacks against the president," The Post told readers astatine the time. 

Biden's White House property caput Karine Jean-Pierre labeled the viral videos arsenic "cheap fakes," talking points the wide media rapidly embraced. (White House footage)

NBC News accused Republicans of pushing a "false" communicative by claiming Biden was wandering aimlessly astatine the G7 summit. 

"Experts person warned that portion precocious exertion similar generative artificial quality tin dispersed misinformation, alleged inexpensive fakes that often usage lone insignificant oregon selective editing tin beryllium much effectual astatine spreading mendacious narratives," NBC News wrote.

The New York Times ran a communicative with the header "How Misleading Videos Are Trailing Biden arsenic He Battles Age Doubts," insisting the viral clips were either "edited oregon lack[ed] context," and CBS News released a study sounding the alarm connected "cheap fakes" and their interaction connected the upcoming election, echoing the White House's assertion that Biden is "victim to a simpler mentation of ‘deepfakes.’"

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CNN main media expert Brian Stelter offered an explainer of what "cheap fakes" are and likewise warned astir their interaction connected the 2024 race.

"We've been disquieted for years astir AI deepfakes that computer-generated images are going to instrumentality radical into believing thing that's wholly false. Cheap fakes are a small spot simpler," Stelter said.

"They're cheap," helium continued. "They're conscionable distorted, out-of-context videos chopped up successful definite ways, constructed successful definite ways. That's what we're seeing."

CNN's Brian Stelter sided with the Biden White House successful the "cheap fakes" narrative, informing it would beryllium a "real problem" going into the wide election. (Screenshot/CNN)

CNN big Abby Phillip offered a alternatively sober connection to her viewers, saying, "The November prime is betwixt 2 aged men. We cognize that. But tonight, I privation to speech to you astir the Joe Biden that Republicans privation you to spot and the pipeline of videos that aren't telling the afloat truth. And those videos are astir apt close present clogging the nationalist consciousness arsenic Americans commencement to deliberation astir their votes." 

MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace condemned the "highly misleading and selectively edited videos," calling retired the "insidious" inclination from right-wing media.

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The Associated Press ran its ain fact-check attempting to debunk the assertion that Biden froze astatine the L.A. fundraiser.

"CLAIM: Biden froze onstage during his fundraiser successful Los Angeles connected Saturday nighttime and had to beryllium led distant by Obama," AP wrote. "THE FACTS: Biden paused amid cheers and applause arsenic helium exited the signifier with his predecessor pursuing an interrogation moderated by late-night big Kimmel."

Video of then-President Joe Biden being led disconnected the signifier by erstwhile President Barack Obama emerged conscionable days earlier Biden's disastrous statement performance. (Fox News Digital/Getty Images)

Perhaps Biden's strongest media defender regarding the mendacious "cheap fakes" communicative was CNN's media newsman Oliver Darcy, who has since near the network. 

"These outlets are wrapping these videos successful precise misleading context, right? Saying that this is grounds that Biden was freezing. He's not capable to locomotion offstage connected his own, and that's evidently not the case, but that's however it's been portrayed successful right-wing media," Darcy told CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

"And it plays into this years-long communicative wherever they person tried to represent Biden arsenic a senile aged antheral incapable of governing the country. And this is conscionable the latest example," Darcy said. "These attacks are evidently ramping up successful the lead-up to the November election."

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Jake Tapper, CNN anchor and the co-author of "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," present acknowledges the Biden White House lied astir the "cheap fakes" portion discussing Biden's L.A. fundraiser, which became a large focal constituent successful his book. 

"The Biden White House falsely- erstwhile radical showed that clip and asked what was going on- said it was a ‘cheap fake.’ They did this each the clip erstwhile determination was video that seemed to amusement Biden acting successful an unusual oregon unusual, seemingly out-of-it way, they would telephone it a ‘cheap fake.’ It was not fake. It was existent video," Tapper said connected CNN earlier this month.