President Joe Biden, 81, is under fire for what many are calling his “worst ever” performance at the G7 summit in Puglia, Italy. During a photo op with world leaders, Biden appeared disoriented and had to be guided back by Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after wandering off. Video footage shows Biden turning away from the group during a parachute display, prompting puzzled reactions.
“Diplomatic sources here say this is the worst they’ve ever seen Joe Biden, and he’s in a bad way,” British journalist Harry Cole reported. “He’s losing focus in meetings. Sometimes he’s very sharp, sometimes he’s very much not.”
Earlier this year, a report by special counsel Robert Hur into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents highlighted the president’s decline, citing his inability to recall details from his vice presidency and even the timing of his son Beau’s death. Hur recommended against charging Biden, partly due to the likelihood of jurors sympathizing with him as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”
“The Aviators are back!” pic.twitter.com/pAgsG6PQjr
— Jack Montgomery (@JackBMontgomery) June 14, 2024
In an angry press conference, Biden insisted his memory is “fine,” despite confusing the Egyptian and Mexican presidents and mistakenly suggesting Mexico borders Gaza.
Biden’s memory issues have been documented as far back as 1987 when he was caught lying about his academic record. The following year, he suffered a brain aneurysm that nearly killed him.
Public concern about Biden’s age is significant, with 86% of Americans believing he is “too old” to serve a second term.