Joe Biden recently took center stage at the NATO Summit 2024 to face the press, and the scene was everything one would expect from the administration. Per usual, the president’s interactions left much to be desired, raising questions about whether he’s more comfortable reading from a teleprompter than engaging in impromptu dialogue with journalists.
Observers noticed that the questions were as softball as they come, almost as if they were pre-screened. One might wonder if the press corps was more interested in tiptoeing around potential gaffes than getting hard-hitting answers. It’s almost impressive how Biden manages to navigate the minefield of foreign policy without tripping over his own rhetoric, but that might be attributed less to skill and more to the accommodating nature of today’s media.
Town Hall: Biden Answers Questions From the Press – Nato Summit 2024 https://t.co/fhrGY1c42u
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) July 11, 2024
Those with a keen eye would see that the bulk of his responses were a mishmash of talking points that have been recycled since his days on the campaign trail. There’s a certain irony in watching world leaders listening attentively to remarks that could have been lifted straight from a 2020 stump speech. For all the talk of renewal and change, NATO 2024 didn’t seem like the place where fresh ideas were on display.
When it came to addressing the crucial issues facing the alliance, Biden’s answers were predictably vague. Concrete plans and strategies were apparently left behind in favor of generic assurances of “standing with our allies.” One might suspect that this administration banks on the hope that platitudes will suffice when detailed policies aren’t forthcoming.
In true form, Biden’s press engagement ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. Questions about his cognitive capabilities will no doubt persist as he continues to deliver performances that lack the decisive and confident touch Americans expect from their Commander-in-Chief. Meanwhile, the rest of the world watches, wondering when—or if—America will regain the strong, unyielding leadership it once had.