The White House blamed “logistical issues.”
Bloomberg News called it a symbol that “the West appeared in disarray.”
Either way, the image President Joe Biden presented at the Group of 20 meeting on Monday in Brazil raised eyebrows on the global stage — and provided plenty of fodder for critics.
Biden, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a leftist, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a conservative, missed the “family picture” of world leaders at the summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The three arrived at the scene after the picture was snapped, “just as their fellow world leaders were dispersing,” USA Today reported.
“Due to logistical issues, they took the photo early before all the leaders arrived,” a White House spokesman said, according to USA Today.
Bloomberg’s report took a less charitable view. It cited Brazilian organizers as saying Biden and the others were late for the shoot.
“But the symbolism was unmistakable,” Bloomberg noted. “The lack of unity among the leaders is a reflection of how difficult it has been to get everyone on the same page at the summit.”
For American viewers in particular, however, it was noteworthy that Biden appeared more confused about what had taken place than his Canadian or Italian counterparts. (Confusion, unfortunately, is not exactly new for Biden’s public appearances.)
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The C-SPAN video is below. The assembled world leaders clasp hands for the picture about the 20-second mark. There are noticeable sounds just before the 1-minute mark, that appear to herald the arrival of Biden, Trudeau and Meloni.
“They’re telling them to wait for Biden,” a reporter says in the video.
President Biden and other world leaders miss the “Family Picture” at #G20Summit. pic.twitter.com/wqA0zaLuC3
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 18, 2024
The clip then shows Biden starting to walk away with Trueau and Meloni, then turning back about the 2:40 mark, seemingly at a loss about where to go next.
After consultations, he eventually moves off, at about the 3:20 mark, in the direction he was originally headed — long after Trudeau and Meloni have disappeared.
Bloomberg cited several possible reasons for the situation, including a potential desire for Biden to avoid being in a picture with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who attended the meeting on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Regardless of the cause, it’s not a picture of decisive action.
And it drew mockery on social media:
I would expect nothing less from this group of incompetent bafoons. The other leaders know he’s irrelevant. This Country has been on autopilot since a pelosi aide resigned him using X.
— Travis Taylor (@3LeggedSquirrel) November 19, 2024
Jill wasn’t there to lead him around
— Nancy (@Nanos98) November 18, 2024
What an embarrassment!
— Grace J. Ferraro (@gracejferraro) November 18, 2024
Inevitably, the scene drew comparisons to the image presented at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, Peru, that concluded Saturday.
As The Associated Press reported, Biden arrived late for the group photo there, too. His position — determined alphabetically — put him in the far right of the photo, while Chinese President Xi Jinping,”scored the best spot in the house, front and center beside the host, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte,” the AP noted.
With President-elect Donald Trump about to replace Biden in the Oval Office, it was presumably Biden’s last appearance at either gathering.
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