Posted on 05/19/23
| News Source: NY Post
A confused-looking President Biden had to be gently guided by Japanese leader Fumio Kishida on Friday — before tripping and almost falling down some stairs.
The oldest-ever US president looked confused as first lady Jill Biden led him by the hand to meet his Japanese counterpart and his wife for a photo op in Hiroshima ahead of the Group of Seven summit there.
After shaking Kishida’s hand, Biden, 80, turned his attention to the prime minister’s 58-year-old wife, Fumio Kishida — bizarrely bending over with clenched fists, as if in a boxer’s pose, before also shaking her hand.
Kishida, 65, then began leading the US dignitaries to prearranged spots to pose for photos — eventually jumping in to politely guide Biden to his place as the president shuffled slowly over and looked at the ground in clear confusion as to where he was supposed to stand.
“We’ll figure it out,” the first lady joked as she and their hosts patiently waited for the aging commander-in-chief to work out where he should stand.
Biden finally figured it out, saying a relieved “all right” as he broke into a smile, ready for the group shot.
Later in the day, the gaffe-prone president had his latest mishap on stairs, this time while going down some rather than walking up.
Footage showed him arriving late for a tour of the Itsukushima Shrine, with the other world leaders already starting their tour as Biden slowly emerged from his limo.