Biden looks confused, almost falls down stairs in Japan

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To Lee Brown

May 19, 2023 | 9:47 AM

A confused-looking President Biden had to be gently guided by Japanese leader Fumio Kishida on Friday before tripping and nearly falling down a flight of stairs.

of oldest US president ever Led by First Lady Jill Biden to meet the Japanese president and first lady for a photo shoot in Hiroshima, she looked bewildered. 7 major countries summit There.

After shaking hands with Mr. Kishida, Mr. Biden, 80, turned his attention to the prime minister’s wife, Fumio Kishida, 58, and leaned forward in a strange boxer-like pose with his fists clenched, then she I shook hands with both.

Kishida, 65, then began guiding U.S. officials to prearranged locations for photographs. Eventually, as the president slowly hobbled and stared at the ground, clearly confused about where to stand, he jumped and politely ushered Mr. Biden to his spot. .

“We’ll figure it out,” joked the first lady, as she and their hosts waited patiently for the elderly commander-in-chief to take their positions.

Mr. Biden finally got it, smiled with relief and said, “It’s okay,” and got ready for a group photo.

Later that day, the gaffe-prone president had his most recent accident while descending a flight of stairs. instead of walking up.

The footage showed Mr. Biden slowly emerging from his limousine, arriving late to pay a visit to Itsukushima Shrine while other world leaders had already begun to inspect.

After slowly walking toward the others, he stared down the only eight steps, still stumbled, and luckily grabbed his leg before falling.

When I held out my hand again to Kishida, who was waiting under the stone steps, he smiled as if nothing had happened.

World leaders posed for group photos after touring shrines, but this time Mr. Biden seemed to find his place with relative ease.

Biden’s age and gaffes are his biggest concerns about running for the 2024 White House election. He will be 86 by the end of his second term, but he has stumbled many times before. Board Air Force One.

a A recent poll revealed 63% of Americans think he is not mentally sharp enough to run the country effectively, and 62% think his physical health is not good enough.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in February found that 59% of Democrats said “Joe Biden is too old to serve in government” best describes the president. agreed.

But doctors insist he is “fit for the job,” and the White House continues to insist he is mentally sharp enough to handle the rigors of the job.

Mr Biden said “I took a good look” This is the age before he decided to run.

“And I feel good.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due Sunday to join the G7 summit to announce new ways to punish Russia for its 15-month aggression.