Conspiracy theorists all have the same question about Joe Biden’s letter

After weeks of pressure, speculation and defiance from the man himself, Joe Biden has finally bowed out of the US presidential race.

The 81-year-old had been facing growing calls to withdraw from the 2024 contest for the White House following an excruciating performance in his first debate with rival Donald Trump and increasing concerns about his physical and mental fitness for the job.

As recently as Saturday night, Biden was insisting that he would stay in the fight for “the most important election of our lifetimes” and, what’s more, that he would “win it”.

However, on Sunday lunchtime (Washington DC time), the tables took a dramatic turn, and the American leader announced: “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

The momentous declaration was made via a letter, published to Twitter/X, which was signed by the incumbent.

And yet, despite the statement being both accepted and applauded by key figures in Biden’s democratic party and across the world, conspiracy theorists have, inevitably, been speculating over its authenticity.

Their issue is with the leader’s signature, which they believe to be a “fake”.

(@JoeBiden/X)

Some commentators have pointed out that the 81-year-old is currently recovering from his third bout of Covid, and that he hasn’t been seen or heard of in public since being taken ill.

Jordan Schachtel, creator of ‘The Dossier’ podcast, tweeted shortly after the letter’s publication: “Biden's signature looks very faded like it was photocopied or he was working with an old pen.

“Biden is still MIA. Zero photo or video evidence has been released to confirm he was the one who signed the doc, which was drafted on non-official letterhead.”

Another sceptic asked: “Did someone else sign Biden's letter? I can't find any other example of Joe Biden underlining his signature or making the ‘N’ look like an ‘S.’ Can anyone find a similar example?”

Meanwhile, Republican politician Mike Collins wrote: “Why is the White House Chief of Staff calling cabinet officials about this purported decision by Biden, and not Biden himself?

“This looks like a bloodless coup. Does the president know he’s not running for election? Does he know he’s still running the country? Has anyone even seen him today?”

And businessman Mike Crispi pointed out: “Even Nixon’s resignation letter had the Presidential seal on it.”

He then asked: “Why doesn’t Biden’s? Why’s the signature different than all of his previous letters ever signed? Why is Biden’s schedule empty?

“Something strange is going on here.”

Regardless, leaders from around the world – including Keir Starmer – have acknowledged Biden’s decision, and fellow top Democrats – such as Barack Obama and the Clintons – have rushed to praise his “remarkable legacy”.

The president himself has also since spoken out again on Twitter/X, endorsing VP Kamala Harris to take the reins from him come November.

Trump, of course, has responded on his social media platform Truth Social, demanding that his nemesis step down from his post immediately.

“Who is running our Country right now? It’s not Crooked Joe, he has no idea where he is,” the outspoken MAGA chief wrote.

“If he can’t run for office, he can’t run our Country!!!”

It's worth bearing in mind that Biden is still recuperating from coronavirus, and he clarified in his letter that he will "speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision."

Hopefully once everyone hears it from the horse's mouth, the conspiracy theorists will quieten down. Or at least pause for breath.

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings