President Joe Biden is touring England, and, naturally, the US press is watching for patented Biden-style gaffes while the president visits our closest ally.
Biden met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and newly ascended King of England, Charles III. According to Newsweek, the meeting with King Charles wasn’t all that smooth.
“King Charles III “had to really guide” Joe Biden on Monday as the U.S. president was “wandering around,” Newsweek reported.
Apparently, Biden was a little too touchy with the British monarch.
“Some felt the president breached protocol with his tactile interactions with the king, placing a hand on his arm and back. Others said the king was happy with his guest’s warmth.” A royal source told Newsweek that people will have seen for themselves “the personal warmth between His Majesty and the President.”
Joe Biden: Wandering around?
Conservative observers took a more critical read of Biden’s behavior.
Nile Gardiner, who heads the Heritage Foundation’s Thatcher Center for Freedom (named for former PM and conservative icon Margaret Thatcher), said that “judging by the images from Windsor, it did appear that at times Biden almost didn’t know where he was, and that’s increasingly the case when he travels on the international stage. It’s very hit or miss. It’s not always clear that he’s in complete control, and he seems to be sort of wandering around” Gardiner continued.
He had a lot to say on the subject, apparently. “When Biden was inspecting the British troops at Windsor, he seemed to be sort of wandering around.” And “I’m also struck by the lack of attention there has been in the U.K. generally to the trip. Usually a visit by a U.S. president is a very big deal. This hasn’t had the kind of high impact that you usually see with a presidential visit.”
That may all be, but I’m not taking Gardiner’s word for it.
Aside from wandering around, Joe Biden seems to have breached royal protocol.
Robert Jobson, a royal biographer, pointed out that “in the past, much would have been made of the touchy-feely President’s eager hands of friendship. You can almost hear the indignant screams about breaches of protocol because Joe Biden touched the monarch’s back or went first when inspecting the Guard of Honour – even though, as guest of honour, that’s what he’s supposed to do.”
Joe Biden isn’t the first visitor to have been accused of violating royal protocol while interacting with the British monarch. Donald Trump was criticized when he walked in front of Queen Elizabeth II. Michelle Obama was criticized for giving the queen a hug. It doesn’t mean much.
Implicit slight at Biden’s age
The repeated emphasis on Biden’s public behavior, the amplification of his awkward moments, i.e. wandering around with King Charles, or hand placement during the Indian national anthem, are really just ways of suggesting that Biden is too old and that Biden is losing his mind, as his behavior demonstrates. I do think Biden is too old to be seeking reelection. I don’t think he’s statistically likely to live through a second term. But where he wanders while hanging out with King Charles doesn’t impress me much. It’s not something I am going to cite as indication that Biden is past his expiration date.
Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor and opinion writer at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
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