President Joe Biden finally made an appearance at a dinner in New Delhi on Saturday night, a rare occurrence considering he has skipped several meals with world leaders at summits over the past year. Despite the delay, Biden was captured by Indian media entering the Bharat Mandapam convention center approximately 30 minutes after the dinner was scheduled to begin. Earlier that day, he had been engaged in meetings at the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Biden arrived at the dinner venue as the last guest, where he took a few minutes to greet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s President Droupadi Murmu, who was the official host for the dinner. The menu for the evening consisted of a vegetarian meal featuring the grain millet, an important crop in India. Other notable guests present at the dinner included Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.
In recent times, Biden has developed a pattern of skipping dinners with world leaders. In July, he missed the leaders’ dinner at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The White House attributed his absence to having “four full days of official business abroad, including back-to-back summit meetings and a major speech.” However, this decision earned him some criticism, especially because he had spent time at his Rehoboth Beach house just before the trip.
Prior to that, in May, Biden left a G7 leaders dinner early on Miyajima Island in Japan. While hurrying to greet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the president stumbled while descending the stairs of the Itsukushima Shrine. The White House clarified that the plan was for Biden to leave early due to the ongoing debt ceiling crisis in the United States.
Additionally, during last year’s G20 in Bali, Biden also chose not to attend the dinner, with a White House official explaining that it was not COVID-related but rather because the president needed to attend to a few things that night.
Biden’s decision to skip various dinners with world leaders has raised concerns about his ability to maintain stamina and his suitability for re-election. Recent polls indicate that a majority of Americans, including Democrats, believe that he is too old to run for a second term. Critics argue that his age may impact his physical agility, but his extensive government experience has proven valuable in his role as president.
While some have observed a decline in his public persona and acknowledged moments where he has admitted to feeling tired, others highlight Biden’s leadership qualities, particularly in times of crisis such as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. His role as a father figure and source of assurance for foreign leaders has been influential in shaping the alliance’s response to authoritarianism.
Overall, Biden’s presence at the dinner in New Delhi may have been delayed, but it demonstrated his commitment to engaging with world leaders and fostering international relationships.
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