Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed that President Joe Biden refused to board the British Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, during his 2021 visit due to the number of steps on the ship. Johnson detailed this and other anecdotes in his upcoming autobiography, Unleashed, set to release on October 10.
During Biden’s first international trip as president, he attended the G7 summit in Cornwall, UK, in June 2021. The British government showcased their $4.3 billion warship, HMS Prince of Wales, anchored in the bay, but according to Johnson, the 78-year-old president declined to board the ship, citing “too many steps.”
This raised questions among Johnson and his aides about Biden’s physical condition. In his memoir, Johnson wrote, “His team told us he wouldn’t actually get on our vast aircraft carrier because it had so many steps, and we wondered what that meant about his physical condition.”
Despite concerns about Biden’s fitness, Johnson said the president appeared energetic and in high spirits during the trip. He even took a particular liking to Johnson’s wife, Carrie, who accompanied her husband to the summit. The former British leader recalled Biden joking with Carrie, suggesting they leave their spouses behind for a walk on the beach. “‘Why don’t you and I go down to the beach… and leave this guy here?’ he joked to Carrie,” Johnson noted, while also mentioning that First Lady Jill Biden “rolled her eyes” at her husband’s playful remark.
Biden’s G7 Trip
While Biden’s lighthearted interactions with the Johnson made headlines, his 2021 G7 trip also included a few awkward moments. In one instance, the president mistakenly corrected Johnson during a roundtable discussion, insisting that the prime minister had failed to introduce the president of South Africa, despite Johnson having already done so. The error fueled speculation about Biden’s mental sharpness, which became a recurring topic of discussion throughout his presidency.
As Johnson’s memoir prepares for release, the former prime minister’s candid reflections are expected to generate more conversations about the relationship between Biden and world leaders, as well as his performance on the global stage.
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