President Joe Biden appeared confused as he hovered between sitting and standing on stage Thursday during the 80th D-Day celebration.
The president kneeled forward and froze for at least ten seconds after shaking hands with French President Emmanuel Macron. Once the orchestra ended, the announcer can be heard introducing Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to speak.
Biden in France at D-Day commemoration ceremony: pic.twitter.com/3JiH2Gs2Jv
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The president, First Lady Jill Biden and the French president commemorated the Allied Forces storming the beaches of Normandy, France, to liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation. The moment marks the most significant victory in the war.
Biden honored the World War II heroes during his speech, stating it is his “highest honor to be able to salute [them].” He compared the Nazis’ threats to Western democracy to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to CNN. (RELATED: Try Not To Cry While Watching This Reading Of ‘The Watch’ For All WWII Heroes)
“History tells us freedom is not free. If you want to know the price of freedom, come here to Normandy,” Biden said. “Remember, the price of unchecked tyranny is the blood of the young and the brave. We’re living in a time when democracy is more at risk across the world than any point since the end of World War II, since these beaches were stormed. In their hour of trial, the allied forces of D-Day did their duty. Now the question for us is, in our hour of trial, will we do ours?”
Macron honored eleven American veterans with the Legion of Honor, the nation’s highest civilian and military award, CNN reported. About two dozen of the 150 American veterans in attendance fought on D-Day.
