WASHINGTON, June 17. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden did not freeze on the stage in Los Angeles, but greeted the audience at a fundraiser for his election campaign, White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said.

"By pretending the President taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds is somehow wrong, all they (Republicans and their supporters - TASS) are really admitting is - once again - is they can’t take on the leadership that is fueling the strongest economic growth in the world and bringing violent crime to a 50-year low," Bates wrote on his X page.

Earlier on Sunday, the US Republican National Committee said on its X page that former President Barack Obama had to pull Biden off the stage during the speech. The committee posted a video of the event, showing the former and current presidents saying goodbye to the audience from the stage. At one point, Biden froze and just smiled before Obama took his hand and led him to the exit.

Biden, who is 81 years old, often makes various caveats, verbal gaffes and strange actions in his public speeches. Republicans are using this in a partisan battle to question the leader's mental and physical ability to continue leading the United States.