Biden, 81, sparks fresh health fears by staring blankly ahead as confident Kamala Harris takes lead while meeting Americans freed from Russian prisons

President Joe Biden has sparked fresh health concerns as he was caught on camera staring blankly ahead while his vice president took the lead during a historic prisoner swap between the United States and Russia.

The 81-year-old commander in chief appeared to be looking off into the distance as Vice President Kamala Harris gave a statement to a reporter Thursday night. 

Biden only moved once in the post-midnight appearance, apparently to scratch his head, with his vacant appearance quickly noted by viewers.  He did speak earlier on and did not appear to make any verbal flubs - but nonetheless, his subsequent expression disturbed many. 

'This dude is not there,' Juanita Broaddrick posted on X, sharing the video.

'Joe Biden is gone,' Nick Sortor added. 'Absolutely freaking gone. This is pathetic.' 

President Joe Biden was seen staring blankly ahead as Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with a reporter Thursday night during a historic prisoner exchange with Russia

Nick Sortor shared the video, writing that 'Joe Biden is gone'

Broaddrick, who accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual assault in 1978, has been an ally of former President Trump since Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2016. 

The 'deer in headlights' moment for Biden came one month after he told Democratic governors that he plans to stop holding events past 8 p.m. - so he can get more sleep. 

The late night schedule fix came after Axios cited staffers saying he already clocked a succinct 10 am to 4 pm workday, with an afternoon nap.

Biden, who had been desperately trying to stay in the presidential race at the time, told the governors 'that he told his staff he needed to get more sleep,' the New York Times reported. 

Biden insisted 'he needed to work fewer hours and avoid events after 8 p.m.' 

Biden only moved once during as Harris spoke, apparently to scratch his head

The vice president has taken more of a prominent position in the administration since Biden announced he was dropping out of the presidential race

Meanwhile, the 59-year-old vice president stumbled to praise Biden's efforts to bring home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and ex-Marine Paul Whelan.

'I am very thankful to the president and what he has done his entire career, but in particular as it relates to these families and these individuals, what he's done to bring the allies together on many issues, but particularly this one,' Harris said, in a statement that some have branded a 'word salad.' 

'This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy, she continued.

Stuttering and seemingly stumbling over her words at times, the Democrat added: '[A]nd strengthening alliances.

'This is just an incredible day', she finally concluded, as the president looked on.  

Harris stumbled as she tried to praise the president for bringing home ex-Marine Paul Whelan, left, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich

Harris has taken more of a prominent position in the administration since Biden announced he was dropping out of the presidential race and endorsed his vice president to take over his position.

The decision came after weeks of concerns about his mental acuity following a disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump. 

Many medical experts have suggested Biden's apparent cognitive decline could be due to him suffering from Parkinson's disease - especially after it emerged that a doctor specializing in the disease regularly visited the White House during Biden's tenure.

Dr Ernst von Schwarz, a cardiologist in California, told DailyMail.com that Biden's 'dry mouth, fixed stare, very little... hand movements and gestures... could be signs of cognitive decline' caused by his age, or 'a neurodegenerative condition' such as dementia.

But they could also be due to medication, he said.

'Keep in mind that there are ways to improve someone’s speech by medical intervention,' the doctor noted.

'The use of medications such as psychostimulants (like Adderall or Ritalin among others) is very common for many to take just before lectures or presentations or official tasks since they increase dopamine availability in the brain.'

Harris is seen greeting the wrongly incarcerated Wall Street Journal reporter here, just before midnight

Meanwhile, Harris has taken a commanding lead in the presidential race, leading in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin.

Amid her surging popularity, Harris was seen greeting Gershkovich, a 32-year-old WSJ reporter, and Whelan, a 54-year-old ex-Marine, as they landed safely at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Also freed was Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was sentenced to over six years in a Russian prison in a rapid, secret trial late last month.

She was seen running into the arms of her family Thursday, after embracing both Kamal Harris and Joe Biden upon exiting the plane.

But it was Whelan who disembarked first, followed by Gershkovich, and then Kurmasheva. All three were seen giving Harris and Biden handshakes before blissfully running into the arms of their respective families.

Following the revelry, the three were cleared to take another plane to San Antonio, where they will be checked out by doctors and cleared to return home.