Biden's odd response when asked about George Clooney's stunning call for him to step back: 'AFL-CIO. Go, go, go!'

 
President Joe Biden faced a barrage of questions during his gathering Wednesday pinch caller British PM Keir Starmer astir George Clooney’s stunning op-ed calling for him to measurement aside.

Biden’s response, arsenic he faces calls successful Congress to measurement down, was to say: ‘AFL-CIO. Go, go, go!’ His consequence suggests he puts much banal successful nan powerful labour union, which issued a connection saying it stood successful ‘strong solidarity’ pinch him connected July 3, pursuing his statement fiasco.

The cacophony successful nan Oval Office came arsenic reporters sewage their first sustained chance to inquire Biden astir nan Hollywood star's telephone for him to measurement down from nan title – conscionable weeks aft helping him haul successful astir $30 cardinal astatine an L.A. fundraiser.

He is definite to look much questions connected nan matter erstwhile he holds what nan White House is now calling a 'big boy property conference' connected Thursday astatine nan NATO acme he is hosting successful Washington. 

'Joe Biden is simply a hero; he saved populist successful 2020. We request him to do it again successful 2024,' Clooney wrote in his bombshell New York Times op-ed.

'I emotion Joe Biden ... But nan 1 conflict he cannot triumph is nan conflict against time. None of america can. It's devastating to opportunity it, but nan Joe Biden I was pinch 3 weeks agone astatine nan fund-raiser was not nan Joe 'big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010. He wasn't moreover nan Joe Biden of 2020. He was nan aforesaid man we each witnessed astatine nan debate,' he said. 

Biden's gathering pinch Starmer, and nan little property readiness astatine nan apical of nan sit-down, was his latest opportunity to show he has what it takes to triumph successful November.

Starmer congratulated Biden connected a 'really successful summit.' The 2 men bantered astir shot – Biden noted that nan 2 countries usage different words for nan sport, and Starmer said astir watching portion of nan EuroCup semifinal pinch his Dutch counterpart.

Biden offered a banal response, saying: '. ‘By nan way, shot has go incredibly celebrated present successful nan United States.'

Starmer said astir nan 'special relationship' betwixt nan U.S. and Great Britain. 

'There's a batch going connected seeking person ties pinch Europe. Good for each of us, nan transatlantic alliance. I deliberation it's a awesome thought that we're going to beryllium moving together on,' Biden said. 

With his ain governmental early connected nan line, Biden went backmost to his negotiated wheelhouse and glad-handed world leaders astatine nan NATO acme successful Washington Wednesday.

After a drawstring of elected Democrats called connected Biden to measurement down, nan president is utilizing nan acme he is hosting successful Washington to effort to show his mastery of nan world segment arsenic good arsenic nan vigor critics successful his ain statement recovered absent during his Atlanta statement disaster.

He scheduled a high-powered gathering pinch Britain's caller Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on pinch Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey. It was their first charismatic gathering since Starmer's Labour Party ended 14 years of blimpish rule.

Earlier, Biden welcomed leaders of the 31 NATO countries for a bid of grip-and-grin photos, joined by outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shook hands.

Among them was Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who played big to Biden and different G7 nations while hosting that acme successful Bari, Italy. 

A clip of nan 2 went viral erstwhile it showed Meloni placing her hands connected Biden's limb and guiding him backmost toward a group of leaders for a photograph aft a parachute demonstration, aft Biden walked a fewer feet away to speak to a parachutist nearby.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called it a 'cheap fake' erstwhile asked astir it by DailyMail.com. 'The President walked complete to springiness a thumbs up to divers who had conscionable landed correct successful beforehand of him,' she said astatine a property briefing past month.

The Starmer gathering successful nan Oval Office was an opportunity for Biden to statesman relations pinch nan the first Labour authorities successful 14 years connected a patient footing.

In a motion of really cautiously nan White House is watching nan optics of nan confab, the White House pushed back erstwhile a Republican National Committee X relationship compared him to a 'wax figure' pinch a short video clip from nan summit.

White House lawman property caput Andrew Bates posted nan RNC's video, which is intimately cropped, and added his ain link. That nexus shows nan president waiting and standing, arms astatine his side, earlier greeting and shaking hands pinch German Prime Minister Olaf Scholtz.

Biden grins and raises his eyebrows during nan grip-and-grin pinch Scholtz.

Biden besides took portion successful the traditional ‘family photo,’ which required them to look into a camera for 8 seconds. 

His ain governmental fortunes are pursuing him astatine nan summit, pinch world leaders arsenic good arsenic his friends and foes successful Congress watching to spot whether he is apt to beryllium successful powerfulness adjacent year.

Biden didn’t respond to a mobility astir whether he still has support for erstwhile Speaker Nancy Pelosi pursuing her comments connected MSNBC, but shook his fist successful a show of confidence.

Biden has spent a profession engaging pinch overseas leaders, arsenic a two-term vice president and erstwhile chair of nan Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He sent a awesome that home authorities are his apical privilege en way to nan summit, being held a fewer minutes' thrust from nan White House. He stopped by nan AFL-CIO, wherever he talked up nan U.S. system and nan contributions of U.S. workers.

During his first remarks to nan summit, Biden publication from printed remarks but occasionally looked up to reenforce a point.

'I will now inquire nan property to depart truthful that we tin get started,' he said astatine nan conclusion of his comments.