During a recent appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Joe Biden seemingly left the stage without shaking hands with his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, commonly known as “Lula.” This incident is the latest in a series of gaffes involving President Biden.
Following his speech on workers’ rights, President Biden can be seen shaking hands with Gilbert Houngbo, the Director-General of the International Labor Organization, who took the podium after the two leaders. After waving to the audience, President Biden walked off the stage. In the footage, President Lula appeared visibly irritated as he shook hands with Houngbo, glanced at President Biden, and then turned away while making a swiping gesture with his arm.
This incident adds to the list of public blunders involving President Biden, who has at times acknowledged his tendency to make gaffes. Critics have used these instances to question the 80-year-old president’s cognitive abilities. However, independent fact-checkers have often found such claims to be misleading.
In December 2018, during his 2020 campaign against Donald Trump, President Biden acknowledged his inclination for awkward situations but emphasized that he believed it was a minor issue compared to what he saw as his opponent’s tendency to be untruthful.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment on the incident.
Despite this awkward moment, President Biden and President Lula found common ground on significant issues affecting both countries, signaling a desire to strengthen bilateral relations. They discussed labor rights and announced a new partnership aimed at supporting workers, combating forced and child labor, and ensuring that the green transition prioritizes workers’ interests.
“This meeting here, for me, is more than a bilateral meeting,” said President Lula. “It is the rebirth of a new era in the relationship between the U.S. and Brazil. It is a relationship of equals.” Notably, Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had a contentious relationship with President Biden.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of workers’ rights in their discussions, with President Lula stating, “There’s no democracy without strong trade unions.” President Biden highlighted the commitment of the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere to upholding human rights, including workers‘ rights.
Currently, President Biden is dealing with a significant strike in the auto industry (the UAW strike) and ongoing labor actions affecting the cinema and TV industry. Despite his support for trade unions, he recently declined a request from UAW leaders to join their picket line.