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President Joe Biden's critics speculated he might have injured himself when he arrived to speak at the University of Wisconsin–Superior with a dark "bruise" on his forehead.
Suggestions that the President was "dazed," "confused," or simply unwell circulated among the right-wing, who saw it as evidence the President was sundowning.
#BidenIsADisgrace... Anybody else notice that bruise in the middle of biden's head..... His handlers probably beat him up after the State of the Union last nightpic.twitter.com/B2SrT9Ty6q— Nick Locandro 3 (@Nick Locandro 3) 1646235719
Did Biden develop a dent and a bruise in the middle of his forehead? That type of injury is common among Seniors who are Sundowning.— We are all Putin (me/you) (@We are all Putin (me/you)) 1646256243
So that was a bruise on Joe Bidens Bidens forehead. \nI heard Tucker Carlson tell a story about Biden head butting somebody's a joke yesterday. \nFeeble old man is prone to all kinds of outrageous behavior.— Michael Miller (@Michael Miller) 1646272786
But there is a very simple explanation for the "bruise."
The answer is President Biden actually regularly attends church. That's right, Biden, a devout Catholic, was observing Ash Wednesday, a Christian Holy Day of prayer and fasting.
Ash Wednesday falls on the first day of Lent. It is observed by Christians across many denominations, who often attended special church services.
The Holy Day gets its name from the placing of ashes on the foreheads of participants to either the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," a ritual that uses ashes prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations.
Biden even acknowledged Ash Wednesday on his official Twitter account.
Today, I join Christians around the world in observing Ash Wednesday \u2014 and pray for those who have lost loved ones during the past year. Lent is a time to deepen our faith as we prepare for the joy of the Easter season.— President Biden (@President Biden) 1646255155
How could Biden's critics, many of whom identify themselves as members of the Christian right, not know about the significance of the "bruise"?
Biden's supporters subjected these same critics to a proper fact check.
I thought all those right wing #MAGAts were Christians? Even I know that yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and #Biden is a Catholic. The ignorant were gleefully claiming he had a "bruise"--not ash--on his forehead.https://www.indy100.com/viral/biden-bruise-ash-wednesday-catholic\u00a0\u2026— Luanna Meyer PhD (@Luanna Meyer PhD) 1646328174
I'm an atheist, I don't try to hide that. But I respect your beliefs as long as you don't try to force them on others. Today is Ash Wednesday, devout Catholics like Joe Biden will have a smudge of ash on their foreheads. Go ahead and shut up about it— RJ Anderson \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f #vetsresistsquadron (@RJ Anderson \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f #vetsresistsquadron) 1646243555
Okay, folks. I'm an atheist, have been since 14. But even I know that the "bruise" on Joe Biden's forehead today was ashes for Ash Wednesday. Are the MAGAs so into their "dementia" narrative that they switched off their own brains? Sheesh.pic.twitter.com/J8ZRuQzqRw— James L. Greenlee (@James L. Greenlee) 1646255176
Biden, marking Ash Wednesday - sign of the cross on his foreheadhttps://twitter.com/nanditab1/status/1499044116528828422\u00a0\u2026— Jennifer Jacobs (@Jennifer Jacobs) 1646235549
So people are posting pictures of President Biden from yesterday saying he has a "big bruise" in the middle of his forehead, that he is feeble and fell? FYI, yesterday was ASH WEDNESDAY. President Biden is Roman Catholic. Those are ASHES. #goodgrief #AshWednesdaypic.twitter.com/pnplr4PlJ4— Leigh Ann kneads her friends\ud83d\udc86\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83c\udf7a\ud83d\udef6\u271d\ufe0f\u262f\ufe0f\u262e (@Leigh Ann kneads her friends\ud83d\udc86\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83c\udf7a\ud83d\udef6\u271d\ufe0f\u262f\ufe0f\u262e) 1646327617
It's Ash Wednesday. Biden is Catholic. It's ash, not a bruise. https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1499138747564130305\u00a0\u2026— Joe Kelley (@Joe Kelley) 1646257609
Today is Ash Wednesday, Biden has ashes on his forehead. It reminds me that as Catholics, we are taught the main lesson from the life of Jesus: Love one another. I can see that so often in what Joe Biden does. Not surprised he is attacked for it.— Katherine ~#StandWithUkraine~ Lopez (@Katherine ~#StandWithUkraine~ Lopez) 1646237589
The suggestion Biden is "mentally frail" has become a favorite talking point in conservative circles.
However, claims Biden has a cognitive impairment are unfounded much like most of the MAGA minions claims.
In September 2020, ABC News reported the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) withheld intelligence warning of Russian disinformation attacking Biden to promote "allegations about poor mental health."
The intelligence bulletin, titled "Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election," said American intelligence determined Russian operatives are sowing disinformation to convince the American electorate Biden has dementia and would be unfit to serve in office.
But the fact that the bulletin has discredited allegations about Biden's mental health has not stopped prominent conservatives from claiming that Biden is very much at the mercy of his handlers, or even his wife.
Last August, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy claimed Dr. Jill Biden, the First Lady, was aware of President Biden's "frail" mental health yet allowed him to assume office anyway.
She went on to claim the First Lady was responsible for the agreement to withdraw from Afghanistan and the release of thousands of Taliban leaders from prison, which were, in fact, released under the administration of former President Trump.