At the G-20 summit in Brazil, world leaders gathered for a “Family Picture” with the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain as their backdrop.
The moment was meant to symbolize unity in addressing global issues like hunger and poverty. But the most notable absence? President Joe Biden. Instead of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his peers, Biden was…somewhere else. Naturally, the internet had a field day.
C-SPAN captured the moment when leaders posed for the group photo while audible shouts urged them to “wait for Biden.” Spoiler alert: they didn’t. As leaders like Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck their poses, Biden was missing in action. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even made it into the picture, representing Moscow in Vladimir Putin’s absence. But the leader of the free world? Nope.
President Biden and other world leaders miss the “Family Picture” at #G20Summit. pic.twitter.com/wqA0zaLuC3
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 18, 2024
Social media exploded with reactions, many laced with snark. Conservative radio host Dana Loesch summed it up as “his entire term in a post.” Political commentator Stephen L. Miller joked that Biden “walked off into the Amazon yesterday and never returned,” referencing Biden’s rainforest jaunt after delivering remarks the day before. Clips of the incident went viral, painting a picture of a president who, once again, seemed out of step—both literally and figuratively.
Biden, who just authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles, takes no questions and retreats back into the Amazon rainforest pic.twitter.com/xy7xr6qYPZ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 17, 2024
The White House press pool report tried to explain the debacle, claiming logistical issues caused the photo to be taken early. Bloomberg reported that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also missed the photo, and a U.S. official attempted to pin the blame on Brazilian organizers. Still, the image of a missing Biden overshadowed those excuses.
The timing of this gaffe couldn’t be worse for Biden. Just weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 election, Biden’s absence at such a symbolic event reinforced critics’ concerns about his age and capability. The 81-year-old dropped his re-election bid in July after a disastrous debate performance against Trump, bowing to pressure from allies worried about his mental acuity and electability.
As Biden wraps up his presidency, moments like these highlight the disconnect between his administration’s lofty rhetoric and its ability to execute. Whether it’s missing a photo op with world leaders or bungling logistics, the message to the world is clear: the U.S. isn’t leading the way it used to. For a president who campaigned to restore America’s global reputation, this “Family Picture” says more than words ever could.
