As world leaders descended on Puglia, Italy, to attend the annual G7 Summit, President Joe Biden sparked concerns about his elderly age. Leaders from the top developed countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, were in attendance.
At one point during the event, the leaders stood as a group, watching skydivers descend from the sky and displaying flags from the various nations. During the programming, Biden appeared to turn his back to the group and wander off temporarily before being ushered back by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The video has since gone viral, sparking further speculation about President Biden’s mental and physical fitness. The Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera published an article titled “Biden and the videos of his rigid movements. How is the president?”
Part of the article read, “A video in which the G7 leaders are observing the paratroopers’ performance of the Folgore Brigade and Biden steps away for a moment, recalled by Giorgia Meloni, who touches his arm, has gone viral. Critics describe it as a moment in which he “gets distracted” and “wanders;” supporters note that, in reality, he only turned around for a moment to compliment one of the paratroopers.”
The piece addressed the pervasive concerns about the president’s age, where he is the oldest sitting president in U.S. history. Corriere Della Sera notes that such behavior from Biden has become common in his public engagement, citing instances like the recent D-Day ceremony with French President Emmanuel Macron and the White House’s Juneteenth celebration.
The popular X account MAGA War Room addressed how Biden’s conduct is skewing the world’s view of the United States. “This is how Italy is covering Joe Biden. The headline reads: “Long pauses, eyes closed, weak voice: Biden and new doubts about health, at the G7″ The world is laughing at us,” the post read.
However, officials from within the Biden administration have suggested that the president has endured “very intense days” packed with busy itineraries. “These are very intense days filled with lots of meetings. And we try to see as many leaders as possible. It’s obviously impossible to see everybody who’s here. So we prioritize the best we can,” a senior administration official told the press last week.
The official further illustrated how, during events such as the G7 Summit, leaders have so many engagements and so little time. “Look on these trips there’s always a lot of leaders and very little time. Most of the day is spent up with participation in the G7 sessions,” the official added. “There’s very little time and so we have prioritized just a few bilateral meetings.”
The British tabloid newspaper, The Sun, reported on the opinions from diplomatic sources at the G7 Summit. One individual told The Sun, “It’s the worst [Biden] has ever been.” Another source claimed that, while Biden had some moments where he displayed clarity and sharpness, there were other instances in which he appeared to be “losing focus” and struggled to concentrate.
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