President Joe Biden canceled an early evening meeting with the German chancellor Olaf Scholz at the last minute because he had to go to bed, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported that the event was an informal gathering in Germany amid the G7 summit in June 2022, and was meant to be a low-key meeting to discuss Ukraine.
Two unnamed people who were there told the Journal that Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Biden would not make an appearance because he had to rest.
According to the report, the chancellor and his aides were surprised by Biden’s absence and Blinken’s appearance.
In a statement to the Journal, a spokesperson for the State Department denied the report, while another official stated that the White House had informed the participants early on that Biden would be unable to attend.
Business Insider could not verify the details or the specific reason for needing to rest, and the White House did not reply to a request for comment.
Axios, citing people close to the president, has previously said that Biden worked best between the 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. window and struggled to function outside that timeframe.
The Journal report said that the White House has consistently reduced Biden’s daily schedule and shielded him from impromptu meetings.
Both CNN and The New York Times have reported that Biden told governors he needed to get more sleep and stop holding events after 8 p.m. The White House has not responded to these claims.
It follows a disastrous debate against Donald Trump, which was marked by verbal gaffes and confusing statements.
Biden dismissed queries about his competence as a presidential candidate in a taped interview with ABC’s George Stephanopolous on Friday, saying he would step aside only if the “Lord Almighty” asked him to.
High-profile Democratic Party donors have voiced their concerns about Biden’s mental acuity.
Abigail Disney, Walt Disney’s grandniece and a longtime Democratic donor, announced she would halt donations to the party until he makes way for a replacement at the top of the ticket.
Biden now faces intense scrutiny as he heads into NATO’s summit this week, which was meant to draw a line under the strategy for the Ukraine crisis and discuss the shifting China-Russia dynamic.
A summit of this stature would normally not be an issue for Biden, who formerly served as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Now, it will serve as a public test of his mental sharpness and ability to run against Trump in the elections.
Alliance leaders will be hosted by Biden in Washington for three days of discussions and public activities, which will end with a solo press conference on the afternoon of July 11th.
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