President Joe Biden wandered away from a group of foreign leaders at the G7 summit in Italy on Thursday, only to be corralled back to the group by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
Video of the incident shows foreign leaders visibly confused as Biden turns and walks away from them during a demonstration of Italian Army parachuters. After Meloni led Biden back to the group to pose for a photo, Biden slowly donned a pair of sunglasses.
The G7 summit is taking place in Italy just days after massive shifts in the European Union Parliament. The agenda will focus on global conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war.
The awkward incident comes after the Wall Street Journal published a story this month detailing lawmakers’ concerns about Biden’s age and mental acuity. The incumbent president’s age has been a major talking point in this year’s presidential election, with voters expressing doubts about Biden’s ability to competently finish another term.
In a recent Time magazine interview, Biden was asked, “Large majorities of Americans, including in the Democratic Party, tell pollsters they think you are too old to lead. Could you really do this job as an 85-year-old man?”
“I can do it better than anybody you know. You’re looking at me, I can take you too,” Biden replied.
While Biden is bullish on his acuity and ability to serve another term, many Americans disagree. According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll in February, 86 percent of Americans think the president is too old to serve another term.
The summit will end on Saturday, the same day the Ukraine Peace Summit begins in Switzerland—an event Biden will skip to attend a Hollywood fundraiser hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
