'Hooked up like Darth Vader': Joe Biden mocked over CPAP markings on face during White House event

WASHINGTON, DC: During an afternoon healthcare event with Senator Bernie Sanders at the White House on Wednesday, President Joe Biden had visible strap lines on his face from his CPAP machine.

Last year, the White House confirmed the president was using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition where one’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.

This confirmation came after the Commander-in-Chief was seen with peculiar marks on his face during a walk across the White House lawn, which sparked widespread speculation on social media.

Although the healthcare event was scheduled at 11 am, it did not commence until the president arrived around noon, per the New York Post. CPAP machines deliver increased levels of airway pressure to ensure that the patient achieves adequate airflow and oxygen during their sleep.

Sleep apnea is a common condition that affects millions of people, and CPAP machines are a popular and effective treatment option.

What did the White House share about President Biden’s sleep apnea?

During the POTUS’s annual checkup earlier this year, White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor talked about the details of his sleep apnea diagnosis and claimed that there were, in general, "no new concerns."

"Since 2008, the president has disclosed his history with sleep apnea in thorough medical reports," the White House has previously clarified.

At present, the incumbent US president, Joe Biden, is the oldest to hold the office.

In the event of him securing a hypothetical second term, he would turn 86 years old at the conclusion of his tenure.

Biden’s political opponent, former President Donald Trump, is presently 77 years old and would become the oldest president in US history if he were to win in November and serve another term.

What transpired at the White House healthcare event helmed by Biden and Bernie?

During their event at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders celebrated the measures taken to reduce prescription drug prices in the US.

“Despite all the political wealth and political power of the pharmaceutical companies,” Sanders remarked. “Despite all that, the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress are beginning to make some progress.”

“You and I have been fighting this for 25 years,” President Biden told Sanders. “Finally, we beat Big Pharma, finally.”

In 2022, the Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which set a $35 limit on insulin prices for those who receive Medicare benefits.

The current administration has also been working to lower the prices of a few select medications, but both President Biden, Senator Sanders, and other Democrats believe that more needs to be done to reduce medication costs.

“I think we should be more aggressive. It’s time to negotiate lower prices for at least 50 drugs a year. We only have — the law only required 10 now and then 15 and moves up,” Biden asserted.

Both Sanders and the president advocated for extending those talks beyond Medicare and capping annual expenditures for Americans at $2,000.

“With Bernie’s help, we’re showing how health care ought to be a right, not a privilege in America. That’s why I’ve never been more optimistic,” Biden declared.

Internet weighs in as Biden observed with visible CPAP markings

People on X shared their reactions, speculations and opinions surrounding the POTUS's use of the breathing apparatus.

One X user remarked, "Daily oxygen ... probably wears it all day."

Another user wrote: "This guy sleeps way too much."

Another user asked: "Again? Are they getting him out of bed moments before he walks on stage?"

One user quipped: ""He only wears it to sleep" Dude must be hooked up like Darth Vader whenever he's in private."

Another X user said: "I wear a CPAP mask every night. It can take up to an hour for the lines to fade and I’m 20 years younger than the president."

Finally, this user tweeted, "Even if Trump badly needed a CPAP I bet he wouldn’t and doesn’t use one."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.