- Biden reportedly canceled a meeting with Olaf Scholz, saying he needed to get some sleep.
- The meeting was an informal one to discuss the Ukraine issue during the G7 summit.
- The White House is facing intense scrutiny over Biden's mental fitness and ability to run for a second term.
President Joe Biden canceled an evening meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the last minute because he had to go to bed, The Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the paper, the meeting was scheduled to be a low-key informal gathering in Germany on the sidelines of the G7 summit in June 2022 to discuss the Ukraine situation.
Two anonymous people who were there told The Wall Street Journal that Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Biden would not be able to attend because he had to take a break.
The Treasury secretary and his aides were reportedly surprised by Biden's absence and Blinken's attendance.
A State Department spokesman denied the report in a statement to The Wall Street Journal, but a second official said the White House had informed participants early on that Biden would not be able to attend.
Business Insider was unable to verify details or the specific reasons for the break, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Axios, citing a person close to the president, had previously said Biden worked best between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and struggled to function outside of those hours.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House has consistently cut back on Biden's daily schedule and shielded him from spontaneous meetings.
both CNN and The New York Times Biden reportedly told governors they needed to get more sleep and stop holding events after 8 p.m. The White House has not responded to these claims.
This follows a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that was marked by verbal gaffes and confused statements.
In a recorded interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Friday, Biden rejected doubts about his fitness to run for president and said he would only step down if “Almighty God” asked him to do so.
Prominent Democratic donors have expressed concerns about Biden's mental competency.
Abigail Disney, Walt Disney's great-niece and longtime Democratic donor, announced she would stop donating to the party until Disney's successor was in charge.
Biden faces intense scrutiny as he heads into a NATO summit this week aimed at finalizing his strategy on the Ukraine crisis and discussing the changing relationship between China and Russia.
A summit of that magnitude would normally be a non-issue for Biden, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but this one will be a public test of his mental acuity and ability to challenge Trump electorally.
Coalition leaders are hosting Biden in Washington for three days of discussions and public engagements, culminating with a solo news conference on the afternoon of July 11.
