President Biden has been “losing focus” during discussions at this week’s G7 summit in Italy, with one diplomatic insider calling the 81-year-old commander-in-chief’s performance “the worst he has ever been.” Another attendee from a non-US delegation described Biden’s public missteps on the first day as “embarrassing.”
Biden is attending the annual meeting of the world’s wealthiest democracies — including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak — to discuss economic and security priorities.
However, his awkward actions have drawn attention, including giving Meloni an awkward salute and wandering away from fellow leaders during a skydiving demonstration, prompting Meloni to escort him back.
Despite these incidents, The Sun reported that Biden showed moments of clarity while discussing urgent matters with leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the European Union.
This aligns with reports from White House staffers who noted that Biden, who would be 86 if he completes a second term in 2029, has occasionally lost focus in private conversations.
White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates dismissed the Sun report as “lies” and praised Biden’s “successful leadership overseas advancing our national security.”
Bates also claimed that reports of Biden walking away from the skydiving demonstration were distorted, explaining that the president was giving a thumbs-up and congratulating another skydiver.
Prime Minister Sunak defended Biden, explaining that the ceremony’s choreography involved the leaders lining up to greet each skydiver individually. Sunak said Biden was “all right” and “polite” to the military participants.
Later on Thursday, Biden skipped a dinner held for G7 leaders at a luxury hotel in southern Italy, according to The Sun. The summit featured significant developments, including the US signing a 10-year security agreement with Ukraine and pledging an additional $50 billion to support Kyiv’s conflict with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined Biden for a press conference to reaffirm their opposition to Russian aggression.
Concerns about Biden’s mental fitness are growing among Democratic lawmakers and aides, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The president has been seen using cheat sheets and resting his eyes during meetings, making some attendees uncomfortable.
A February ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 86% of voters — including 73% of Democrats — believe Biden is too old to complete a second term.
First lady Jill Biden dismissed the idea of mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75, calling it “ridiculous.”
Biden is set to face former President Donald Trump in their first presidential debate of the cycle on June 27 on CNN. A JL Partners poll released Thursday showed that half of US voters expect Biden to forget his location during the debate, and a third anticipate he will wander offstage.
Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt criticized Biden’s performance at the G7 summit, claiming that it demonstrated his cognitive decline. Leavitt argued that adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran would exploit Biden’s weaknesses and emphasized the need for a strong leader like Trump.
