C: RNC Research / Clay Travis Screengrab (Twitter)
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WATCH: Joe Biden seems lost and alone at White House event

Joe Biden was captured on camera standing alone and looking frustrated as officials flocked around Barack Obama during his first return trip to the White House since leaving office.

President Biden, 79, was filmed raising his hands in the air in apparent exasperation as he wandered aimlessly after he was side-lined for his predecessor at the event on Tuesday.

Prior to the event, the President wrote on Twitter that he was looking forward to seeing Obama.

“It’s an honour to welcome my friend President Barack Obama back to the White House. I look forward to discussing the big step we’re announcing today that would expand coverage under the Affordable Care Act for families and lower healthcare costs for hard working Americans,” he said. 

However, when footage of the event surfaced online, commentators described the exchange between Biden and Obama as “sad” and “humiliating”. The clip, posted by the GOP, was shared widely online with Mr Biden’s critics citing it as further evidence of his unpopularity among the American people.

In another clip, Mr Biden was seen standing behind Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris as they shook hands with people. The president had earlier been standing beside Obama, Ms Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others before leaving the group to search for someone in the room.

“Why did Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and the entire reception line at the White House just completely snub Joe Biden?” one Tweet read.

Political Analyst Brit Hume said that supporters and opponents of the President could see how “sad” the clip was. “Obama is too busy enjoying the adulation to even turn around,” he said.

“Who is actually running the country? Can somebody tell me please!” another input read.

Mr Biden could then be seen turning back to gauge how busy Mr Obama was, before gesturing to his Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, to join him on the stage. As Mr Biden and Ms Haaland walked back to Mr Obama, the former president appeared to snub them, saying he would join them later.

However, some said the clip was being shared selectively and said a longer view showed that Biden was simply looking for the Secretary to come to the stage. 

The former president, in his address, began by jokingly referring to Biden as “Vice President,” drawing laughter from the crowd. The two men then hugged.

Obama added: “That was a joke. That was all set up. My president, Joe Biden.”

Biden continued the joke as he took to the podium, introducing himself with self-deprecating humour as “Barack Obama’s Vice President” and “Jill Biden’s husband”. Biden, who had earlier hosted Obama for lunch, joked that the two men did not know who should sit where.

Biden’s approval rating is currently at an all-time low of 40 per cent, according to Real Clear Politics’ polling average. With the cost-of-living crisis soaring for ordinary Americans and Russia’s war in Ukraine raging on, other polls have put Mr Biden’s popularity even lower. 

A recent Marist College poll put Mr Biden’s approval at a dismal 39 percent, a decrease from 47 percent at the start of March.

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