'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Joe Biden, the President of the United States, recently attended a meeting with victims of the Maui fire on August 21. Soon after, several videos surfaced online, in which he appeared to have fallen asleep.
This came after Maui witnessed disastrous fires in the second week of August owing to a dry summer and strong winds from a passing cyclone. The Independent reported that as of Sunday, August 20, there were thousands of people still missing and at least 106 people had died as a result of the fire.
On Monday, President Joe Biden traveled to the island of Maui to see the destruction caused by the fire and to evaluate the government's response.
However, in a recent video, he seemed to have fallen asleep during a serious meeting with those impacted by the fires. The clip was shared by @MattWallace888 on Twitter and several netizens took to the comments section of the post to criticize Joe Biden.
"Disgraceful" - Netizens criticize Joe Biden for seemingly falling asleep during a meeting with Maui fire victims
First Lady Jill Biden and Joe Biden arrived in Lahaina to witness the damage caused by the fires. The President visited the island to reassure locals that the federal government would aid in their recovery and pointed to the popular Lahaina banyan tree, whose branches were charred as he said:
“Today it’s burnt, but it’s still standing. Trees survive for a reason. I believe it’s a powerful, very powerful symbol, what we can and will do to get through this crisis. For as long as it takes, we’re going to be with you, the whole country (will) be with you.”
However, according to the New York Post, he was met with several hostile citizens, protestors, and "No Comment" signs. Just after noon, a group of several dozen people from western Maui also heckled Joe Biden's convoy as it departed from Kapalua Airport and was on its way to Lahaina.
He drew further criticism from netizens when a video of him seeming falling asleep during a very important meeting with victims of the fire went viral. Netizens took to Twitter and flooded the comment section of @MattWallace888's post as they called the clip "disgraceful."
More details about the Maui fire
A number of wildfires started at the beginning of August 2023 on the island of Maui, particularly Lahaina. The fires forced thousands of residents to flee from their homes, inflicted extensive damage, and resulted in at least 106 fatalities.
Several individuals including children are also currently missing. According to USA Today, Adam Weintraub, the spokesman for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency mentioned that Maui authorities have chosen not to make the names of the missing victims public.
"There are also worries about further traumatizing the families of those who are currently listed as missing but may actually be dead," he said.
High winds reportedly brought down power lines, which experts claim started the fires. Several victims of the fire have sued Hawaiian Electric, the primary electricity utility company on the island, as they claimed that it supplied equipment that was inadequate to resist severe winds, as per the New York Post.
