Leaders at the June G7 summit in Italy were “stunned at how old the president is compared to the last time they interacted with him a year ago, sometimes just months ago,” writes the Washington Post. to the point.
European leaders reportedly noticed that Joe Biden seemed “more tired, more fragile and less comprehensible,” often speaking very quietly and sometimes losing the thread, though he quickly returned to it. According to the newspaper, leaders were under the impression that while Biden could still serve in office, there were concerns about whether he would be able to do so for the next four years.
Several anonymous administration officials shared similar impressions with the newspaper and said the chaotic episodes had intensified significantly in recent months. Still, nearly everyone was surprised by Biden’s poor performance in the debate.
Joe Biden’s terrible performance in the debate.
As the newspaper’s columnist David Ignatius wrote in a separate op-ed, Biden’s form and uncertainty about the future of his candidacy are creating serious concerns about next week’s NATO summit in Washington. As one senior official involved in the preparation of the event told Ignatius, the summit will be “a moment of fear and danger” and every European leader will be monitoring Biden’s position. His press conference during the summit was one of the White House’s ways to show that the president is still capable of working effectively.
Concerns expressed include the current weakness of US adversaries, particularly Russia and North Korea, and the potential use of a moment of uncertainty. Officials cited by Ignatius say there are still no signs of an impending crisis, but an escalation of Russian tensions is possible, for example in the form of acts of sabotage similar to those that have intensified in Europe in recent weeks. So far, they have not occurred within the United States.
Biden has acknowledged fatigue in recent speeches, though he has consistently declared his willingness to continue to fight for the presidency. According to the White House, Biden was battling a cold during the debate; He himself pointed to fatigue and “jetlag” from traveling to Europe. Attendees of Biden’s Wednesday meeting with Democratic state governors also reported that Biden was tired and having trouble sleeping. He reportedly instructed his subordinates to organize fewer events after 8 p.m.
Friday was Biden’s first fitness test in a week. Although he gave a speech at a campaign rally in North Carolina the day after the debate, his public appearances in recent days have been brief, limited to prepared speeches and short interviews on radio stations popular with African Americans. On Friday, the president will address a rally in the key state of Wisconsin and give an interview to ABC television.