Instead of meeting with the German chancellor during a G7 event in June 2022, President Biden reportedly snuck off to bed despite the meeting being scheduled for earlier in the evening.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Alpine resort, but the secretary of state informed Scholz, to his surprise, that Biden was in bed. He told The Wall Street Journal.
The informal meeting was planned as a secret conference on Ukraine and was scheduled for early in the evening because German officials knew Biden would be tired by the evening, the paper said.
But a State Department spokesman denied claims that German officials had been told Biden needed to get some sleep.
“Secretary Blinken has never said anything like that or made any statements of that nature,” spokesman Matthew Miller told The Wall Street Journal.
US officials also insisted the White House made it clear early on that Biden would not attend the G7 event, and denied claims that Blinken was acting as a proxy for the president.
White House officials told the outlet that the commander in chief focused on both international and domestic issues during the summit, which ended at 10 p.m. one night.
Biden showed no signs of cognitive decline during his working hours, but appeared to grow fatigued as the summit dragged on, people who were present at the meeting reportedly said.
The Wall Street Journal report described how some of Biden’s aides have shielded him from excessive travel, media and interactions with lawmakers.
The Democratic nominee, who will face former President Donald Trump in November, is facing new and increased scrutiny over his fitness for office following his disastrous performance in last month’s debate.
