NATO members are more concerned about US President Joe Biden’s mental fitness than they are about the potential consequences of a Donald Trump victory, according to Politico.
Concerns about Biden’s mental state, particularly following a shaky debate performance against Trump two weeks ago, have been exacerbated by his age. Numerous media outlets have described Biden, who often confused words and failed to finish sentences, as “fumbling” and “incoherent.” The debate reportedly led some Democrats to consider replacing Biden as their candidate, although Biden himself has insisted that he has no plans to drop out of the race.
At the NATO summit in Washington this week, several European nations have expressed alarm over Biden’s apparent decline. They are increasingly concerned that Biden could lose the November election to Trump, who holds a more “hostile” stance towards NATO.
Some NATO officials have expressed frustration that concerns about Biden have overshadowed the purpose of the summit. One Western official told Politico, “It’s a very weird feeling to be in Europe listening to the president of the United States, and you’re more stressed about whether he will go off script than being excited to listen to the leader of the free world.”
A source told Politico that everyone is focusing on Biden’s appearance rather than on Trump’s statements about NATO. This source noted that Trump, though not as young as Biden, is still younger than his rival. “We would prefer a more stable situation in the US,” the official added.
While Biden has championed NATO as “the bulwark of global security,” Trump has been much more critical of the organization. Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO allies for failing to meet his definition of “fair share” for common defense spending. In February, Trump claimed to have told Western leaders that if they did not invest more in defense, he would “encourage” the Russians “to do whatever the hell they want.” This prompted rebukes from both the Biden administration and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Earlier this month, Politico reported that Trump is considering a deal with Russia to prevent NATO expansion into Ukraine and Georgia if he wins the election.