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Video footage of U.S. President Joe Biden arriving in his motorcade for the queen’s funeral while other world leaders were made to travel by bus together has gone viral on social media.
The short video shows multiple cars in Biden’s motorcade while large buses follow them into Buckingham Palace. The video has so far been viewed more than half a million times.
The video, posted on Monday, was captioned: “Our leaders went to the UK and are being treated the way they treat us [clowns].
Lumumba 🇰🇪 on X (formerly Twitter): “Our leaders went to the UK and are being treated the way they treat us🤡… pic.twitter.com/2LreyyS4oJ / X”
Our leaders went to the UK and are being treated the way they treat us🤡… pic.twitter.com/2LreyyS4oJ
Biden has faced some criticism for being escorted to the funeral in this manner while other world leaders have traveled together in buses to the service.
Other images have begun circulating on social media showing that African leaders were transported on these buses while Biden was escorted by multiple cars.
Kenyans.co.ke on X (formerly Twitter): “President William Ruto and other African leaders inside a bus vs America’s Joe Biden motorcade as they head to the Buckingham Palace in honor of Queen Elizabeth II pic.twitter.com/XKyraFaquF / X”
President William Ruto and other African leaders inside a bus vs America’s Joe Biden motorcade as they head to the Buckingham Palace in honor of Queen Elizabeth II pic.twitter.com/XKyraFaquF
“President William Ruto [of Kenya] and other African leaders inside a bus vs America’s Joe Biden motorcade as they head to the Buckingham Palace in honor of Queen Elizabeth II,” The Kenyans publication wrote as a caption.
Alinur Mohamed, an aspiring politician according to his Twitter bio, also brought attention to these images.
“African leaders in a bus in UK being treated the way they treat us after they were invited to attend the burial of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” he tweeted.
Alinur Mohamed on X (formerly Twitter): “African leaders in a bus in UK being treated the way they treat us after they were invited to attend the burial of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It’s only President of the United States Joe Biden who used his own car – The Beast – to travel to the service at Westminster Abbey. pic.twitter.com/czwZTzuTgs / X”
African leaders in a bus in UK being treated the way they treat us after they were invited to attend the burial of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It’s only President of the United States Joe Biden who used his own car – The Beast – to travel to the service at Westminster Abbey.
“It’s only President of the United States Joe Biden who used his own car- The Beast – to travel to the service at Westminster Abbey.”
However, some social media users highlighted that it was not solely African leaders who arrived by bus.
Citing a report by The Sun, one Twitter user noted that it was Joe Biden who had been granted an exception to use his own vehicle and that other dignitaries were seen arriving on buses.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she did not see the “fuss” of using the busses, according to the report.
She added that she regularly makes her minister carpool.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said that “a lot of great conversations happen on the bus”.
Ahead of the funeral, Biden praised the queen for the impact she had on the world.
“To all the people of England, all the people in the U.K., our hearts go out to you. You were fortunate to have had her for 70 years, we all were. The world’s better for her.”
Following her death on September 8, at the aged of 96, Biden also released a statement highlighting her dedication to the role as queen.
“She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection—whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones,” the statement read. “And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service.”
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.
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