WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is facing scrutiny from critics who allege that his eye movements during a recent speech indicate he was reading from a teleprompter when he made contentious remarks about Trump supporters. The accusation has sparked debate online, with some pointing to Biden’s visible eye movements, suggesting he may have relied on a script for comments in which he appeared to label Trump supporters as “garbage.”
During the speech, Biden’s gaze appeared to shift quickly, a pattern consistent with reading text on a teleprompter, according to critics who have analyzed footage of the event. This type of movement, known as a “saccade,” is common in reading, as the eyes jump rapidly from word to word. Experts note that saccades are quick and generally go unnoticed by observers, but fixation patterns can sometimes be discernible on video, particularly in close-up shots.
Saccades are typically followed by “fixations”—short pauses where the reader focuses on specific words or phrases to process information. Critics argue that Biden’s fixation points during the speech were consistent with progressive saccades, or eye movements moving from left to right across a line of text, often observed when someone is reading. Some allege that these patterns suggest he was not speaking spontaneously but rather following a prepared script.
The President’s comments have fueled backlash, with many Trump supporters taking offense at what they interpreted as a broad dismissal of their views. The remark has since been widely circulated on social media, amplifying the controversy over whether the President’s language was scripted or off-the-cuff.
The White House has not responded to inquiries about whether Biden’s remarks were scripted or ad-libbed. Meanwhile, eye-tracking experts note that while saccades and fixations are associated with reading, such eye movements alone do not conclusively indicate teleprompter use, as similar patterns can occur in unscripted speaking scenarios, particularly when a speaker is concentrating on delivering complex or nuanced points.