Italian PM Giorgia Meloni seen rolling eyes and checking nonexistent watch as Biden runs late for NATO meeting
Italian politician Giorgia Meloni was caught rolling her eyes as President Biden arrived late for a NATO meeting
Giorgia Meloni was captured on camera rolling her eyes as President Joe Biden arrived late for a NATO meeting. On Thursday, amid calls for a high-stakes press conference, the President of the United States and NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, delayed their presence, leaving Italian and Finnish President Alexander Stubb visibly frustrated. The video has since gone viral, sparking criticism of the White House's tardiness.
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni rolls her eyes as Biden arrives late
The Italian PM gained attention during the G7 summit for guiding a ‘distracted and lost’ Biden back to the group. In a new video, Meloni appeared thoroughly exasperated, rolling her eyes and theatrically checking her nonexistent watch as the clock ticked past the scheduled 10 a.m. start time for the summit. Reports suggest Biden left the White House a good 20 minutes after the event was supposed to kick off, which might just explain why Meloni looked so unamused.
Also read: Biden’s Blunder: Refers to Ukraine's Zelensky as 'President Putin' in front of NATO leaders; watch
Another person joined the conversation between the Italian leader and the Finnish President who then took out his phone to check time. At that moment, she rolled her eyes and frowned again, only to notice the cameras focused on her. While the video was too distant to capture any audible conversation, it was clear that the trio appeared visibly ‘disgusted.’ There were rumours on social media that Meloni might have been copying Biden's actions before deciding against it. This isn't the first instance she's become famous for her famous eye roll. Remember the iconic G7 handshake with French president Emmanuel Macron?
Biden calls Zelensky as ‘President Putin’
Joe Biden participated in a meeting, and immediately upon his arrival, he was involved in another embarrassing slip-up. This occurred when he referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin.”
Also read: Biden advisers explore exit options amid polling on ‘Trump-Harris’ matchup
“And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination,” Biden said. “Ladies and gentlemen, President [Vladimir] Putin.” He then promptly acknowledged his error and said it occurred because he was "so concentrated on defeating" the Kremlin’s strongman.