President Joe Biden's appearance at this week's Group of Seven international summit has diplomatic insiders concerned, with one source telling The Sun that it's "the worst he has ever been."
The 81-year-old commander in chief has reportedly been "losing focus" in meetings during the gathering of world leaders, and attendees from multiple delegations reportedly called his performance "embarrassing."
Biden joined the leaders of other G7 nations — a group of the world's wealthiest democracies — in Puglia, Italy, for their annual meeting to discuss the economic and security priorities of their respective countries.
All eyes are on the president, however, following several instances of bizarre behavior, including turning his back on his counterparts during a skydiving demonstration before shuffling away from the group and saluting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni when greeting her on Thursday.
Public broadcaster RAI reported that Biden kept Meloni waiting for 20 minutes Thursday morning before arriving.
When he finally showed up, Meloni reportedly attempted to make light of the situation, telling Biden, "You shouldn't leave a woman waiting like this."
The Sun reported that while Biden has had moments of clarity during meetings, there have been "some worrying developments," including "an awkward moment" with the president "where he was looking very doddery."
Biden also reportedly ducked out of the dinner that was held for leaders at the summit at a luxury hotel in southern Italy.
On Friday, Andrew Bates, the White House senior deputy press secretary, called the Sun report "lies" and claimed to the New York Post that Biden's "successful leadership overseas" was "advancing our national security."
Bates also blamed the "desperate" media for using "an artificially narrow frame" to portray Biden in a bad light. He insisted that the president was giving "a thumbs-up" during the skydiving demonstration and congratulating a skydiver who was collecting his things.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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