OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
With just 62 days remaining in office, President Joe Biden already appears to be winding down his term.
On Monday, the commander-in-chief was notably absent from the traditional group photo at the final Group of 20 (G20) summit of his presidency. Officials attributed the no-show to a timing issue, though it marked a striking omission from the global gathering that took place in Brazil.
The 81-year-old President and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived after the official group photo had already been taken. According to the Associated Press, other world leaders were seen mingling and chatting after posing for the picture, having smiled and exchanged warm gestures during the photo session.
The timing left Chinese President Xi Jinping prominently positioned at the center of the group of leaders, posed against the blue skies and waters of Rio de Janeiro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, meanwhile, was less conspicuous, standing in the back row.
“A senior Biden administration official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, said Biden and other leaders missed the photo because of ‘logistical issues,'” the AP noted, adding: “Biden had intended to be part of the photo, but it occurred earlier than scheduled.”
Just days earlier, Biden made headlines when he appeared to wander off alone into the Amazon rainforest after delivering a speech on climate change at the COP29 summit in Brazil, Breitbart News reported.
A video of Biden walking away from the podium quickly went viral after being shared on social media. It didn’t take long for Hollywood celebrities—once among his most vocal supporters—to join in ridiculing the seemingly aimless actions of the 81-year-old leader.
“Here’s my question. Who thought it was a good idea to send Biden into a humid, 100-degree rainforest? After five minutes, he looked like an apple that someone left in a food dehydrator,” Jimmy Fallon quipped on The Tonight Show Monday.
“Meanwhile, the way Biden was dressed is going viral,” he went on. “Can we see a photo of Biden in the rainforest? He looks like a billionaire who regrets opening a live dinosaur park.”
“He looks like he’s been waiting three hours for his grandkids to get off the river boats at Animal Kingdom,” Fallon added. “He looks like Jeff Probst in Season 396 of ‘Survivor.’”
Comedy Central’s The Daily Show host Jon Stewart was astonished that Biden simply walked into the trees.
Pop star Lizzo quickly joined the lineup of comedians criticizing Biden for his meandering ways and desire to connect with nature, as did comedian Rob Schneider.
Others criticized Biden for authorizing $50 million in U.S. taxpayer funding for the Amazon rainforest while the country is massively in debt and Americans continue to suffer the fallout of recent disasters on U.S. soil.
“How nice of Joe Biden to give the Amazon rainforest $50,000,000 while North Carolina victims from Hurricane Helene get denied FEMA claims, sleep in tents in freezing cold conditions, and get threatened by DSS that their children will be taken for not having adequate housing. You’ve forgotten about your own people. AMERICA FIRST policies can’t come soon enough,” one X user wrote.
How nice of Joe Biden to give the Amazon rainforest $50,000,000 while North Carolina victims from Hurricane Helene get denied FEMA claims, sleep in tents in freezing cold conditions, and get threatened by DSS that their children will be taken for not having adequate housing.… pic.twitter.com/G8eF2ztx0T
— Frank Fighting For Freedom 🇺🇸 (@thinktankfranks) November 18, 2024
Biden was in the Brazil rainforest to declare nobody can reverse “the clean energy revolution that’s underway in America.” He stated that combating climate change has been a central issue of his presidency, though most of the country rejected his policies when they rejected his self-nominated successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, in lieu of electing Donald Trump to a historic second non-consecutive term.