'Frail' Biden sparks health concerns as he is seen holding onto wife Jill and a priest at pope's funeral

WASHINGTON, DC: Joe Biden made a rare public appearance Saturday morning, April 26, but let's just say it didn’t exactly go as he had hoped.

The former president, 82, was spotted arriving at the Vatican for Pope Francis's funeral, holding his wife Jill Biden's hand and clinging onto a priest for support as he carefully made his way down the steps. 

Biden was one of the first high-profile figures to arrive at St Peter’s Square, but looked a little unsteady as he joined thousands paying their respects to the late pontiff.

Joe Biden sparks health concerns as he arrives at St Peter’s Square for Pope Francis' funeral

Apart from Joe Biden, other world leaders like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and current US President Donald Trump turned up to honor the late pope, who passed away on March 21. Over 200,000 people gathered to mourn the beloved leader, the Irish Star reported.

But all eyes were on Biden's uneasy descent down the stairs, and it didn’t take long for critics on social media to offer their takes.

"JB hanging on tight to the priest’s arm for a handrail. Poor guy. Wonder if he knows why he is there?" one user asked on X.

"Wow.. grabbing on like dont let me go . Thank goodness he is not in office any longer," another user chimed in.

"I swear he looks like 'Bernie' from 'Weekend At Bernie’s,'" one person wrote.

"We all know that he couldn't walk up the stairs, and now we know he can't walk down the stairs," another comment read.

"He has some serious issue! need medical attention," someone else noted.

"I believe he has neuropathy. I also have it up the full length of my legs. It’s very difficult to do stairs without a railing- nothing to joke about. I do still walk 40 minutes a day, but on flat ground," another offered.

Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, and Volodymyr Zelensky take center stage as Biden watches

Since stepping down from the White House in January, Joe Biden has kept a relatively low profile, only popping up once to deliver a speech slamming Trump. 

As the funeral service unfolded, Trump stole the show as he stood alongside Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Biden was seated a few rows behind, noticeably watching the back of Trump’s head while chatting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. 

Body language expert Judi James had a lot to say about that moment, suggesting Biden’s vibe gave off a "near-obsessive desire to watch his successor in the role he still clearly believes should be his."

Trump had told reporters earlier in the week that he didn’t even know Biden would be there, insisting that a meeting with the former president was "not high on my list."

There were rumors that Trump might be stuck with a "third-tier seat" far from the action. But he ended up snagging a front-row seat, leading to commentary about how the Vatican managed the fragile egos of world leaders.

According to the Irish Star, it was all part of a "master plan," carefully arranging guests to avoid potential fireworks. Trump was placed 11 seats away from Zelensky, though the two were spotted deep in private conversation before the service kicked off.

Of course, Trump couldn't help but stir up a little controversy of his own. Instead of wearing the traditional black suit for mourning, he rolled up in a blue one and instantly raised eyebrows.

The cameras reportedly also caught him casually chewing gum and fiddling with his phone during the funeral service.

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