European officials reacted to President Joe Biden’s performance at the presidential debate, noting they’ve seen warning signs of his deteriorating age for awhile.
Several officials in countries such as Poland, Germany, and Slovenia expressed concerns about 81-year-old Biden’s age and his ability to serve a second term as President of the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal.
This comes after Biden appeared to look confused and appeared to freeze during the presidential debate on Thursday against former President Donald Trump. Biden also spoke with a hoarse-sounding voice and appeared to mumble.
“This night will not be forgotten,” Norbert Rottgen, a member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany wrote in a post on X. “The Democrats must now change course. And Germany must prepare itself as quickly as possible for a future that is uncertain in terms of security policy. If we do not take responsibility for Europe now, no one will.”
The outlet added that former Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Jansa had reportedly “bet months ago that Biden would no longer be on the ballot” by the time the presidential election occurred in November.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also noted it had been “expected that in a direct confrontation” such as a presidential debate, Biden would not have an “easy” time.
“I was afraid of this,” Tusk said. “It was to be expected that in a direct confrontation, in a debate, it would not be easy for the president.”
Prior to the debate, which left many people calling for Biden to be replaced, and sent many donors into panic mode, the outlet notes that Biden had shown signs of his deteriorating age:
When Biden was in France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day in June, he stumbled. During a bilateral meeting in Paris with Zelensy, Biden spoke so softly that reporters brought in to document the meeting between the two men could not initially hear the American president. Zelensky, a non-native English speaker, could be heard clearly.
Several officials also noted an instance when Biden had trouble with “his talking points” and needed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assistance:
Officials said that Biden’s performance and focus can vary hugely between meetings and even within a meeting. Two senior European officials cited an EU-U.S. summit last October in Washington where Biden had struggled to follow the discussions. Both said that he stumbled over his talking points at several moments, requiring Secretary of State Antony Blinken to intervene and point out the lines he should use.
During a rally in North Carolina the day after the presidential debate, Biden admitted to the crowd that he does not “walk as easy,” “speak as smoothly,” or “debate as well,” as he used to.
A Harvard-Harris poll from March found that 57 percent expressed doubts about Biden’s mental fitness to serve another term as president, while 43 percent believe Biden is mentally fit.
