WH: Europe trip signals Biden is the ‘clear and consensus leader of the free world’
Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz
On Thursday, the White House bragged that President Joe Biden’s performance during his trip to Europe for the G7 Summit and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin signalled that Biden was the “clear and consensus leader of the free world.”
According to Breitbart, in an on-the-record call with reporters, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the boast.
“I really do not believe that it is hyperbole to say that Joe Biden returns from this trip as the clear and the consensus leader of the free world,” he said.
Responding to criticism of Biden’s trip from GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who accused the president of not standing up for American interests, and failing to take Putin to task for wrongfully imprisoned Americans and Russian cyberattacks, Sullivan went after former President Donald Trump.
He accused McCarthy of being a Trump supporter, slamming the former president as having given “President Putin a pass” while Biden was protecting American values.
As evidence he noted Biden’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, who told reporters that the US was “definitely back” after the two met.
Sullivan stated his case by describing how leaders from Europe and Asia were “extremely positive” about Biden’s “personal leadership” style.
He said this was further evidence that Biden’s trip was a success.
“Whether it’s standing with friends or engaging with difficult competitors like Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden showed throughout this trip that he is striding across the world stage with confidence and purpose and a singular focus on defending American interests and values and those of our allies.”
Biden’s trip to Europe was not all smooth sailing.
After a contentious press conference post Putin meeting, Biden was forced to apologize for snapping at a reporter.
As Biden was ending the press conference, a CNN reporter clearly frustrated him with a question asking why he was “so confident (Putting) will change his behaviour.”
The President snapped at the reporter, “I’m not confident I’m going to change his behavior. What the hell? What do you do all the time?”
A heated exchange followed.
As he was walking away, Biden also said to her, “If you don’t understand that, you’re in the wrong business.”
At another point during the trip, Biden appeared to slip up when he said to the press, “I received a list of reporters to call on.”
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
