Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was recently seen visibly frustrated as she waited for US President Joe Biden to show up for the high-stakes NATO Summit in Washington on Thursday. In a video that has gone viral on social media, Meloni was seen rolling her eyes and checking a non-existent watch as she waited for Biden's arrival along with other leaders.
In the brief clip, Meloni looked up to the ceiling and made an amusing expression by crossing before looking at an imaginary watch, as if to say, "Look at the time." She was accompanied by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who was seen checking his phone as they waited for Biden. Meloni then rolled her eyes and made a disgruntled expression before noticing the cameras and making an awkward smile.
After Biden finally arrived at the summit, he and Meloni were caught in an awkward moment, as the Italian premier appeared visibly uncomfortable when the 81-year-old leaned in for a peck on the cheek, leaning away from him. Interestingly, this is not the first time Meloni was frustrated by Biden's late arrival at events.
Biden also arrived late to the first day of the G7 Summit last month, leading to Meloni jokingly scolding him by saying that he "shouldn't leave a woman waiting" before welcoming him with a hug and a smile. This was before Biden wandered off during a parachute display before being dragged back by Biden.
Biden's series of slip-ups
The US President made a series of blunders at the high-profile NATO Summit, at a very unfortunate time when he is closely watched after a poor debate performance has fuelled concerns about his age and mental acuity while his own party members now believing that he may be too old to run for re-election.
While speaking at the NATO Summit, Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as (Russian) 'President (Vladimir) Putin'. Realising his mistake, Biden attempted to correct himself by saying, "President Putin? You're going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy. I'm so focused on beating Putin we got to worry about it, anyway. Mr President." Later, during a news conference, Biden mixed up the name of his Vice President Kamala Harris with his rival Trump.
As the elections are nearing in the US, incumbent Biden is facing voices against him by the day, asking him to step aside and make way for Kamala Harris for the presidential polls. Senator Peter Welch and nine Democrat Representatives have openly called for Biden to end his re-election bid and allow someone else to compete after a seemingly disastrous debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump on June 27.
Despite the backlash, Biden has refused to budge in the face of calls for him to step aside and said he was "the most qualified person" to run for President. "I beat him (Trump) once, and I will beat him again. Secondly.. the idea that senators and congressmen are running for office worrying about the ticket is not unusual and I might add, there were at least five presidents running or incumbent presidents who had lower numbers than I have now later in a campaign," he said in the solo news conference.
ALSO READ | Zelenskyy as 'Putin', Harris as 'VP Trump': The unending gaffes by Biden at NATO Summit | WATCH
