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Reporter’s Notebook
As he made his final appearance at global gatherings, including at the Group of 20 summit in Brazil, President Biden lobbied for his foreign policy goals even as leaders shifted attention away from him.
Nov. 19, 2024, 5:16 p.m. ET
World leaders at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro were discussing plans to confront poverty and war when President Biden acknowledged the obvious — this was most likely his last time attending such an elite meeting.
“This is my last G20 summit,” Mr. Biden said on Monday. “We’ve made progress together, but I urge you to keep going — and I’m sure you will, regardless of my urging or not.”
Mr. Biden appeared to be right — the presidents and prime ministers who had gathered in Brazil for talks on Monday and Tuesday at the Group of 20 summit were ready to move on without him.
In some cases, literally.
Hours later, as leaders gathered under the backdrop of Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain to commemorate the summit, Mr. Biden was chatting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada near a palm tree.
Other leaders were smiling and waving to cameras for the customary “family photograph.” By the time Mr. Biden made it over to a platform for the photograph, the leaders were already on their way out.
The president was not in the group portrait.
The final summit of Mr. Biden’s presidency was one of his last opportunities to lobby for his vision of the world, even as many world leaders shift their attention to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump.
