Tipsheet

Biden Slurs His Way Through Brief NATO Summit Address

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  July 09, 2024 8:45 PM

White House staff rolled the dice again, wheeling Joe Biden to address the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington D.C. after 4 PM. Biden took the podium around 5:30 after opening statements from outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. It wasn’t the worst Biden speech by far, but his age did show. It overall was a slurred address to our top European allies, where Biden tried taking credit for things that Trump did to bolster the alliance, specifically pushing more member states to chip in and reach the two percent benchmark toward defense. 

Ukraine was a top agenda item, with the president reiterating America’s undying commitment to this war that’s become another quagmire. Biden left Afghanistan, which he felt bogged down American priorities, which might have been an accurate assessment, though to engulf us in this proxy war with a nation that possesses nuclear weapons has become a fool’s errand. 

The speech wasn’t long—it can’t be since Biden has to be rolled back into hypersleep—but the president reiterated support for Ukraine, stopping Putin, and struck a tone that Biden alone is why NATO is so great. It’s a clear move to show off the president’s unremarkable and often incorrect takes on foreign policy, a hallmark characteristic of the president for over 40 years. 

There was also this awkward moment when Biden told a story about asking Stoltenberg to serve another term as secretary general, only to find out that his wife was on the other end of the line. 

There were no true brain freeze moments, but Biden’s labored speech shows that this man can no longer do things late in the evening. If this was to convey a sense of Biden being in charge and mentally sharp, it once again fell short. Our European allies reportedly don’t think Biden can do the job anymore. How can you blame them?

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Stoltenberg was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom after Biden's speech.