There was a time when U.S. President Joe Biden’s allies abroad would make allowances for his age, let the slip-ups slide, gently bring him back to the fold when he appeared to wander off. No longer.
His calamitous presidential debate performance changed the calculus. Now even Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva — a leading South American leftist who wants a Democrat in the White House and is hosting the next Group of 20 summit — is saying the quiet part out loud.
"I think Biden has a problem,” Lula — who like Republican presidential challenger Donald Trump is 78 — told a local radio station. "He’s moving more slowly, he is taking longer to answer questions. The U.S. elections are very important for all the world.”