Biden wanders away at G7 summit before being pulled back by Italian PM
Mamma mia, Giuseppe!
President Biden started to wander off during a skydiving demonstration at the G7 summit in southern Italy Thursday, with the host nation’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni pressed into action to pull him back toward the group.
As the leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies applauded the evening parachuting presentation, the 81-year-old US president’s attention visibly wandered away from where the others were looking.
Biden appeared to miss the action happening right in front of him as he shuffled a few steps away from his fellow heads of government, turned the other way and appeared to say something to an officer packing a parachute.
At that point, Meloni walked over to Biden — doing so backwards so she was still facing her fellow leaders — and touched the president’s right arm to let him know it was time to rejoin the group.
The rest of the leaders then awkwardly gathered around Biden for a photograph, for which the president slipped on his signature aviator sunglasses.
The odd moment was highlighted by the Republican National Committee’s RNC Research X account, which posted the video along with the all-caps inquiry: “WHAT IS BIDEN DOING?”
“As if Meloni doesn’t have enough on her hands, now she’s stuck playing chaperone to Grandpa Joe,” tweeted National Review senior writer and occasional Post columnist Dan McLaughlin.
“The prime minister of another country had to go track him down and stop him from aimlessly wandering off,” added Outkick writer Ian Miller. “What an embarrassment.”
White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates defended the President, claiming the clip — which was widely distributed by wire services — was distorted.
“[Biden is] saying congratulations to one of the divers and giving a thumbs up.” Bates said on X.
Hours earlier, Biden had a strange introduction to Meloni, appearing to bury his face in her hair as the two embraced upon the president’s arrival at the summit venue in the city of Fasano.
Before departing the stage where Meloni had greeted him, Biden also raised his right hand in an awkward salute before walking away.
The trip to the G7 summit is Biden’s second visit to Europe in as many weeks, having visited France last week to take part in commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
At one point in the June 6 ceremony, Biden awkwardly fumbled for his seat on stage, apparently not realizing that his fellow dignitaries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, had remained standing.
Biden’s staffers have long confided that the president, who would be 86 years old if he completes a full second term in January 2029, has at points lost his focus in private conversations in addition to his very public errors.
Later, the 46th president was ushered away by a handler after shaking hands with Macron, then standing for several minutes as if lost.
Biden will miss the third and final day of the G7 summit to fly all the way back to the West Coast, where he will headline a Hollywood campaign fundraiser hosted by actor George Clooney.
