One of the things that happens to old people who are slipping into dementia is that they lose all sense of place and appropriate behavior.  In this regard, they've regressed to a more childish state.  For ordinary people, sometimes it's amusing and sometimes embarrassing.  But when the person in the Oval Office has no sense of place and appropriate behavior, it's a national humiliation — as is the case for Joe Biden checking his watch even as the coffins of those who died in the Kabul terrorist place were being unloaded from the plane in front of him, and, which is just as bad, failing to salute them.

There is no more serious and solemn responsibility that an American president, as commander in chief of our military forces, can perform than to honor those who died in America's service when they are returned to America for burial.  Obviously, in a hot war, the president cannot be there for every plane, but there are times when it's both appropriate and politically necessary.

Considering how many people believe that Biden has on his hands the blood of those Americans who died when ISIS-K set off a bomb at Kabul Airport, it would have been political suicide had he failed to travel to Dover, Delaware to pay his respects to the troops.  Once there, the president's role is limited.  It consists of showing respect.  That's all that's asked, and Biden couldn't even do that.

As this video shows, Biden absolutely checked his watch.  It was quick, but it wasn't subtle:

Lots of people caught what he did and were appropriately disgusted:

It's true. Joe Biden checked his watch during the dignified transfer of the servicemembers killing in Afghanistan at the airport. You can see him jerk his left hand to pull the watch out from under his sleeve, then look down at it. pic.twitter.com/M3QVzJbTIm

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) August 29, 2021

Benghazi 2.0 pic.twitter.com/NqI8Pl6kvN

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 29, 2021

Joe Biden had one job today. One. To stand on a tarmac. He didn’t have to say one word. He didn’t have to move or do anything ceremonious. Just stand still and pretend like you’re Commander-in-Chief. Dipshit checks his watch like he’s got somewhere better to be. pic.twitter.com/LdIIdS9pCN

— Eric Matheny ЁЯОЩ (@EricMMatheny) August 29, 2021

While Biden was busy checking his watch, he forgot that he's actually commander in chief.  As each casket passed by him, he stood there like a civilian with his hand over his heart instead of saluting his troops as they made their final journey:

President Trump, on the other hand, understood what to do:

The tale of two Presidents…

Trump, back in 2019, saluting and paying his respects to the U.S. soldiers killed in Syria as they return.

Biden, today, CHECKING HIS WATCH in the middle of the dignified transfer as the 13 U.S. service members killed in Kabul return home.

Sad. pic.twitter.com/rwoPmaK9ik

— The Truth Gazette (@Truth_Gazette) August 29, 2021

For someone who's been in federal politics more than half his life, including eight years as vice president, you'd think Biden would know how to behave at such a solemn ceremony...but he doesn't.  It's so deeply disrespectful and more evidence, if we need it, that whether because of his inherent personality flaws or encroaching dementia, Biden has no idea what to do at the appropriate time and place.

Images: YouTube screen grab.

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