During his "My Take," Thursday, "Varney & Co." host Stuart Varney analyzed President Biden's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the APEC summit, arguing the president's frail appearance, coupled with an inept Vice President Harris, could affect China's judgment on invading Taiwan.
STUART VARNEY: When foreign leaders meet an American president they are sizing him up.
Trying to figure out what he's made of.
BIDEN CALLS XI JINPING A ‘DICTATOR’ AS CHINA VOWS TO BE ‘UNSTOPPABLE’ IN RETAKING TAIWAN
Right now, Xi Jinping is figuring out President Biden. He is judging his rival.
They met in San Francisco. Xi saw a physically frail president. He walked very slowly.
It was almost a shuffle. He was not robust, and his speaking voice was faint.
Xi would surely have seen a decline compared to when they last met just a year ago.
BIDEN, XI MEETING WILL BE FORUM FOR ‘INTENSE DIPLOMACY’ AMID TENSION BETWEEN US, CHINA: OFFICIALS
(BIDEN APEC PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO MONTAGE)
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: "I'm embarrassed, I think it's CBS, but I can't remember who was CBS. I'm sorry. I apologize."
BIDEN: "What you got? Washington Post. I think that's right. Oh, there you are. Sorry. I can't see in the light."
REPORTER: "Is there any deal underway to free hostages?"
BIDEN: "Yes. No. Working backward, forward. Look, I have been deeply involved in moving on the hostage negotiation. I think the pause and that is really what the Israelis have agreed to. I'm getting into too much detail. I know, Mr. Secretary, I'm going to stop."
He seemed confused. He turns 81 next Monday and shows the difficulties of aging.
Forgive me for being blunt, but does anyone believe that he can be president for another five years?
That strains credulity, doesn't it? Xi sees it. This will affect China's judgment on invading Taiwan.
When you throw in Vice President Harris, Xi sees a challenged president and an incompetent vice president waiting to take over.
For Biden, the optics of the meeting were not good.
