NATO fears Biden can't beat Trump

Olha Hlushchenko — Sunday, 7 July 2024, 00:52

Diplomats and world leaders preparing for next week's NATO summit are privately expressing acute concern about the age, health and ability of President Joe Biden to win the 2024 presidential election.

Source: Politico

Details: These foreign officials are overwhelmingly in support of Biden's re-election and fear that Donald Trump's return to power will harm the NATO alliance and hinder the military effort in Ukraine. They have, however, expressed dismay at Biden's recent debate performance, fearing that he is too feeble to overcome Trump and lead a global superpower.

Politico reports that numerous allies had quietly expressed doubts about putting their trust in Biden prior to the debate. Now, Biden must persuade his counterparts that he is not just ready for the fight, but that he will overcome a political crisis to remain in it.

Politico quotes one of the officials of the European NATO country: "It doesn’t take a genius to see that the president is old. We’re not sure that, even if he wins, he can survive four years more."

Another EU official remarked: "We all want Biden to have a second term to avoid dealing with Trump again, but this isn’t really reassuring."

The journal states that Biden will have to publicly display his leadership qualities and endurance at the summit in Washington, which will begin on Tuesday morning and extend until Thursday in sweltering weather that is expected to be intolerable. As a host, he will not be able to miss a single event.

NATO allies are concerned about how long Biden will be able to maintain American support for Europe's defence, especially given Trump's scepticism about supporting partners abroad.

"We’re having more conversations about our own defences since it looks like Trump is coming back," an official from one NATO country said after the debate.

Furthermore, several NATO countries are dissatisfied with Biden's leadership, claiming that he has been too sluggish in sending weaponry and granting Kyiv permission to strike Russia.

Nonetheless, the three diplomats said, allies are content for Biden to remain in office but concerned about his age.

They aren't very unhappy about him occasionally missing gala meals at certain summits or leaving early. Diplomats reportedly say that Biden began using notebooks, speaking more slowly and quietly, and moving with an unmistakable stiffness.

They say they are more concerned about his political situation and chances of re-election, given his age.

"It seems to me that’s going to be very tough for him to pursue his campaign and to stay on," said one senior EU diplomat, adding that while it was up to the Democratic Party to replace Biden, they should be "considering all options."

Background: 

  • The findings of two more opinion polls in the United States showed that former president Donald Trump had boosted his lead over the incumbent president Joe Biden to six percentage points, his greatest margin in both polls.
  • According to media reports, Biden has purportedly indicated in private that he might retire from the US presidential campaign if he did not persuade the people in the coming days that he was ready to serve another term following an unsuccessful debate with Donald Trump.
  • Unofficially, hundreds of Democrats in the US House of Representatives are considering signing a letter urging that President Joe Biden withdraw from the race.
  • Biden stated that following the debate, he had undergone a medical examination and was doing well.
  • On Wednesday, Biden stated that he would not withdraw from the contest.

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