Italy’s Meloni says Biden ‘doing well,’ makes good impression

Rome, July 12 (FN Agency) US President Joe Biden is “doing well” and making a good impression, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday. Meloni attended the NATO summit in Washington held from July 9-11. “I saw that he is doing well,” the askanews agency quoted Meloni as telling reporters. Meloni added that she spoke with Biden during the summit. “He gives the impression of a US president who is working and who organized this wonderful meeting,” she said. Speaking at one of the summit’s events, Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President Putin.

At age 81, Biden is the oldest president in US history. His reelection bid has been dogged by speculation about his physical condition and cognitive abilities. Despite being the Democratic forerunner, Biden’s presidential campaign has suffered since a presidential debate with former US President Donald Trump on June 27, where he appeared confused and incoherent throughout. That reinforced rather than refuted concerns about his cognitive abilities. His poor performance has led some Democratic politicians and donors to call for his removal as a candidate.