Biden appears to wander off UN stage without shaking President Lula’s hand at end of joint speech – leaving Brazilian leader visibly irritated – minutes after President walked through a flag to take the podium

President Biden apparently left the UN stage without shaking hands with Brazil’s Lula at the end of a joint speech, after a presentation full of gaffes.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 77, looked visibly irritated after the two leaders shared the stage to talk about their joint initiative to improve workers’ rights in their respective countries.

But their diplomatic meeting got off to a rocky start when Biden, 80, slipped into a seven-foot Brazilian flag, letting it wave slightly as he approached the podium.

The president delivered a rambling speech about his “economic vision to rebuild our economy from the middle and the bottom up, not the top down,” as Lula looked on from his right flank.

Meanwhile, during Lula’s speech, Biden fumbled with his headset, which he was using to hear a translated version.

“Can you hear me, President Biden? This is a historic moment for Brazil and for the United States,” Lula said at the start of his speech.

“President Biden, can you hear me? » Lula asked again, appearing to lose patience as Biden grunted in response.

‘You can?’ » he asked, turning to Biden. ‘Yes good.’

Biden continued to look confused as he struggled with the headset while Lula continued his speech.

International Labor Organization Director-General Gilbert Houngbo took the podium after the two world leaders, and Biden leaned down to slowly grab a file from the floor as Lula looked on.

Houngbo shook hands with Biden and Lula in turn at the end of his speech – but Biden appeared to leave Lula hanging, awkwardly waving to the audience before leaving the stage.

As Biden turned his back on the Brazilian president, Lula looked annoyed and made a sweeping gesture with his arm.

They awkwardly left opposite sides of the stage.

President Biden delivered a rambling speech about his “economic vision to rebuild our economy from the middle and the bottom up, not the top down,” as Lula looked on from his right flank.

The diplomatic meeting on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly got off to a rocky start when Biden, 80, slipped into a seven-foot Brazilian flag, leaving it to waver slightly as he was approaching the podium.

Throughout the three interventions, which lasted approximately 15 minutes, they shared several more exchanges.

As Biden finished his speech and left the podium, Lula patted him on the shoulder before taking the microphone himself.

At the end of Lula’s speech, Biden shouted “good job!” » and Lula shook hands with him and Houngbo.

“The two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere defend human rights globally and in the hemisphere, including workers’ rights,” Biden said.

“Let’s be clear: Whether it’s the auto workers union or any other unionized worker, record corporate profits should mean record contracts for unionized workers.”

“In America, I am proud that my administration is considered the most pro-union in American history,” Biden added. To applause from the audience, he added: “No, I really mean it.”

His comments came on the sixth day of a strike by 12,700 members of the United Auto Workers against Stellantis, parent company of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, who are demanding better wages and benefits.

Biden said the U.S.-Brazil partnership for workers’ rights would start as a bilateral initiative, but other countries and organizations were welcome to join.

Lula, warning that democracies were under threat around the world, said it was essential to strengthen workers’ rights and said the new initiative would help “generate hope” for working families while deepening the links between the two countries.

“This is more than just another bilateral agreement. This is a relationship of faith that we are building here and a new era for U.S.-Brazil relations as equal partners,” he said, adding that “poverty and inequality are in no one’s interest.” .

Houngbo welcomed what he called a historic initiative.

“Decent work allows workers to organize and negotiate,” he told reporters. “It promotes social justice, which is essential for people to have a better future.”

The joint project is part of a U.S. effort to strengthen ties with Brazil, which has close ties to China, its main trading partner, even as tensions have sharply increased between Beijing and Washington.