NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: President Joe Biden’s journey of blunders doesn’t seem to have an end. In yet another incident, the 80-year-old POTUS seemingly left the United Nations stage without shaking hands with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the end of a joint speech.
On Wednesday, September 20, the diplomatic meeting in New York got off to a labored start when President Biden stumbled into a seven-foot Brazilian flag, sending it toppling as he approached the podium, according to Daily Mail.
The president then settled himself and delivered a meandering speech outlining his "economic vision to rebuild our economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down."
However, he suffered an awkward moment during Silva’s speech when he fumbled his headset, which he was using to hear a translated version of what was being said.
"Can you hear me, President Biden? This is a historical moment for Brazil and for the US," said Lula at the start of his speech.
The Brazilian president once again asked, "President Biden, can you hear me?" appearing to lose patience as Biden supposedly grunted in response.
Biden continued to appear bewildered as he struggled with the headset while the Brazilian president continued with his speech. At one point, he tossed down his earpiece and furrowed his brow in displeasure.
Did Joe Biden really forget to shake hands with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva?
After International Labor Organization Director-General Gilbert Houngbo's address was over, he shook hands with both Joe Biden and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but when the Brazillian President reached out to POTUS for a handshake, the latter kept him hanging.
Instead, Biden uncomfortably saluted the audience before leaving the platform.
In footage from the event, Biden appeared to make a clumsy gesture mixing the thumbs-up and the salute. The Brazilian president seemed displeased and made a swiping motion with his arm as POTUS turned his back on him.
However, it should be noted that the US president did shake Lula's hand after the Brazilian president was done with his speech.
How did netizens react to Joe Biden forgetting to shake hands with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva?
Joe Biden’s awkward encounter with the Brazilian president has garnered immense social media attention, with users slamming him for his inattentiveness.
A user said, "The President of the United States acting on the international stage is such an embarrassment."
One asserted, "There's clearly something wrong with Joe. Either he's being disrespectful here, or he's not all there," with another saying, "His dorkiness embarrasses us on the world stage every day."
"Joe's old and his memory is on postcards. So it's not his fault he didn't shake hands he just didn't have a card for it," opined a user.
Another expressed, "Joe Biden is in his own world okay. He can’t be held accountable for everything he does. 😂🤦♂️."
