There was a time when US President Joe Biden’s allies abroad would make allowances for his age, let his missteps slide and gently bring him back to the fold when he seemed to be straying. That is no longer the case.
His disastrous performance at the presidential debate changed the calculus. Now even Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva — a prominent South American leftist who wants a Democrat in the White House and is hosting the next Group of 20 summit — is saying the quiet part out loud.
“I think Biden has a problem,” Lula — who, like Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, is 78 — told a local radio station. “He moves slower, he takes longer to answer questions. The American elections are very important for the whole world.”
