biden shake hands air
© @freebeacon/TwitterPresident Biden turned after his speech with his hand stretched out, but no one was there.
President Biden was left empty-handed following an address at a North Carolina university Thursday.

Biden, 79, had just finished delivering a nearly 40-minute speech at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro when he turned toward stage right with his paw outstretched in a handshake position.

There was no one else on stage and no one from the applauding crowd approached the president to exchange the pleasantry, according to footage of the event.


The Democrat did press some flesh at the start of the speech, shaking hands with Malcolm Hawkins, the electrical engineering student who introduced him.

His remarks were aimed at pressuring Congress to increase funding for semiconductors production as proposed in the Bipartisan Innovation Act.

Some political adversaries reacted to the ungraceful exit, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who tweeted an eye-roll emoji alongside footage of the air handshake.