Fact check: No, Biden didn't shake hands with thin air; wasn't confused [see full clip]

Twitter was abuzz with US president Joe Biden's viral video, where he appeared to shake hands into thin air. Netizens were puzzled by the president's actions after he delivered a speech at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro. This has become a hot topic of discussion on social media. But here's what went on.

The claim

The viral video shows Biden turning to his right and shaking hands in the air, gesturing a handshake, right after completing his speech at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro. The 30-second viral clip then shows the president was alone on stage, with no one to return the pleasantry. There were people in the crowd, but no one approached the president.

The president then does the same gesture to his right and at that point, Biden had been showing his back to the audience. He had paused on the stage for a while, which led people to believe the president appeared confused. This was shortly after Biden had claimed that he served as a "full professor" at the University of Pennsylvania despite never teaching a class at the school. These two things combined, Biden was trolled heavily.

"Where are the White House and Biden family handlers whose job it is to make him look good?" Harmeet K Dhillon, former vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party, said in a comment on Twitter. "This is truly bizarre unless they WANT him to look like a dementia patient."

"Joe Biden tries to shake hands with thin air! And this is the man who controls the largest number of nuclear weapons in the world. Think about it," wrote another person.

Politician Robby Starbuck, who is running for Congress in Tennessee's upcoming Republican primary, remarked: "Oh man. The music makes it 10x worse. This man is unfit to be President. Period."

A Twitter user commented: "No one believes you even the imaginary person whose hand you tried to shake."

Fact check

International Business Times reviewed the viral clip and found its source to establish context.

The viral video, which is only 30 seconds, is part of a 40-minute speech. Biden's speech was about the supply chain crisis and also appeared to press Congress to increase funding for semiconductors production.

Looking at the full video, which was live-streamed by WFMY News 2 on YouTube, gives more clarity. If you fast forward to the end of the video, it becomes clear that Biden wasn't shaking hands with thin air. In fact, he was gesturing at the people on the right and eventually behind him who were cheering. He even gestures toward the crowd on the left side of the dais, but it is covered by a mic stand.

After reviewing the full footage, IBTimes has arrived at the conclusion that claims about Biden shaking hands with thin air and looking confused are entirely misleading.

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