US President Joe Biden’s gaffes became a talking point at the G7 summit in Italy. The 81-year-old was spotted ‘saluting’ Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni on Thursday before an ‘awkward’ photo moment when the US president wandered off and had to be pulled back into the frame.
Joe Biden at the G7 summit
President Joe Biden‘s gaffes became a talking point at the G7 summit in Italy. The 81-year-old was spotted ‘saluting’ Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni on Thursday before an ‘awkward’ photo moment when the US president wandered off and had to be pulled back into the frame.
Biden, who has been facing criticism over his ‘mental and physical’ capabilities during his 2024 re-election campaign, was welcomed to the G7 summit by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. A video of the two leaders meeting went viral. The Democrat seemed to make a ‘salute’ gesture for Meloni.
Later in the day, Biden met with other leaders at the summit. As Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the room, the US president again made a saluting gesture.
Reacting to the videos, Italian-American Joey Mannarino said: “Did Giorgia Meloni join the US Military and no one told us? Why did Biden just salute her?”
“He saluted Hunter the other day also,” another person added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
“He doesn’t know where he is. She had to tell him what to do. And still he gets lost. Such an embarrassment,” a third one said.
One person defended Biden, saying: “He did it informally, like a thumbs up. I do it to coworkers from time to time, meaning. OK, got it.”
Biden’s latest gaffe came during a photo session. As several G7 leaders including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were ready to be clicked, the Democrat wandered away.
Meloni soon reached out to guide him back.
