Social media went into meltdown after a New York Times photographer pointed out Biden appeared to be wearing no socks with his Skechers before boarding Air Force One for theNATO summit.
The 80-year-old was dressed in a button down shirt, suit jacket and sleek pants as he approached the plane but in a post on Twitter, photographer Doug Mills pointed out that he didn’t appear to be wearing socks with his slip-on Skechers.
Hundreds of commenters responded to the post, with many explaining that the shoes are a breathable material and are meant to be worn without socks. Others said the president could have been wearing no-shows.
It comes a day after Biden was spotted relaxing on the beach in Delaware with his wife Jill and 22-year-old granddaughter Finnegan. Biden’s son Hunter, who is expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses, was nowhere to be seen.
Biden departed the US on a three-nation trip that will be dominated by a NATO summit in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia while not yet accepting Kyiv as a member of the alliance.
President Joe Biden boarded Air Force One on Sunday for the NATO summit wearing Skechers with no socks and the Internet melted down after seeing the photo
The 80-year-old was dressed in a button down shirt, suit jacket and sleek pants as he approached the plane but in a post on Twitter, New York Times photographer Doug Mills pointed out that he wasn’t wearing socks with his slip-on Skechers
Mills faced blowback from other Twitter users who appeared to side with Biden on his sartorial choices.
‘Probably the invisible or low rise socks. Everyone I know wears them,’ one said.
‘Slip-on Skechers are designed to be worn without socks. The fabric is lightweight and breathable, allowing feet to stay cool and dry. Plus, the sole of the shoe is designed to provide maximum cushion and comfort without the need for socks,’ explained another.
‘I don’t wear socks with my Skechers either. Especially on my flights to London,’ a third said.
Biden’s first stop will be in London, where he will meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday and then travel to Windsor Castle for a visit with King Charles.
The talks with the King, expected to include climate initiatives, will give Biden a greater sense of the man who succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth, who died last September.
Biden had tea with the Queen at Windsor in June 2021 and they discussed many of the same issues that remain a top priority today, like Russia and China.
Biden will travel on to Vilnius, Lithuania, on Monday night and hold talks with NATO leaders there on Tuesday and Wednesday. Biden and the allies aim to show support for Ukraine and give Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky a sense of what he will have to do to gain NATO membership at some point in the future.
In a CNN interview previewing his trip, Biden urged caution for now on Ukraine’s drive to join NATO, saying the alliance could get drawn into the war with Russia due to NATO’s mutual defense pact.
‘I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,’ Biden said.
In Biden rare sit-down interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, he urged caution for now on Ukraine’s drive to join NATO. The interview did not include any questions on the president’s son Hunter Biden or the discovery of cocaine in the White House last week
The interview aired the same day a new Rasmussen poll revealed that 58% of likely voters think that President Biden was involved in Hunter’s foreign business dealings
Zelensky, seen with Polish President Andrzej Duda, is expected to be at the NATO meeting
Zelensky said an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO would send a message that the Western defense alliance is not afraid of Moscow. Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO and that would be one of his goals in Vilnius, he added in an interview broadcast Sunday.
‘I’ll be there and I’ll be doing whatever I can in order to, so to speak, expedite that solution, to have an agreement with our partners,’ Zelensky said on ABC’s ‘This Week.’
A centerpiece of Biden’s visit to Lithuania will be a speech that he will deliver at Vilnius University on Wednesday night.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the speech will cover Biden’s vision of ‘a strong, confident America flanked by strong, confident allies and partners taking on the significant challenges of our time, from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to the climate crisis.’
One of Biden’s objectives on the trip is to show Americans back home the importance of continuing support for Ukraine as he faces re-election. Some of his Republican rivals in the race for the November 2024 presidential elections have voiced doubts about his strategy.
Solid majorities of Americans support providing weaponry to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia and believe that such aid demonstrates to China and other U.S. rivals a will to protect U.S. interests and allies, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey.
Biden’s last stop will be in Helsinki for talks with the leaders of the newest NATO member, Finland, and to attend a summit of U.S. and Nordic leaders.
His interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria did not include any questions on son Hunter Biden or the discovery of cocaine in the White House last week.
Hunter Biden remains under multiple investigations related to his years of foreign business and allegations of using his father’s position for his family’s financial gain and enrichment
Cocaine was discovered at the White House last week, overshadowing the usual July 4 celebrations. Trolls online immediately said Biden’s addict son Hunter was to blame for bringing the illegal drug onto the property
Zakaria kept all the questions foreign policy-related until the very tail-end of the interview where he talked about how age has become a central issue to the 2024 presidential race.
Instead of making the case for why he is fit for office or further dismissing concerns over his age or physical and mental abilities, Biden said: ‘I just want to finish the job. And I think we can do that in the next six years.’
Hunter Biden remains under multiple investigations related to his years of foreign business and allegations of using his father’s position for his family’s financial gain and enrichment.
Meanwhile, a new Rasmussen poll released on Sunday shows that 58 percent of Americans think that President Biden was at least ‘very or somewhat likely’ involved in his son Hunter’s foreign business deals.
Hunter Biden is pleading guilty to two tax-related charges, as well as reached a probation deal for a separate charge for lying on a federal form to purchase a firearm. He checked a box indicating he was not using or addicted to any illegal drugs at the time of the gun purchase, while timelines detailed in his own book are to the contrary.
The 52-year-old son was nowhere to be seen when the president was spotted soaking up the sun with his wife Jill and 22-year-old granddaughter Finnegan at the beach in Delaware.
Joe Biden is seen walking from the beach on Saturday after enjoying a day on the sand
The president is seen enjoying the beach on Saturday with his family
Joe Biden relishes spending time in Delaware with his family and friends
The president and his family relaxed under a sun lounger, under the watchful eye of their Secret Service detail.
But other beachgoers seemed to pay the presidential entourage little notice, and continued to enjoy the sunny day.
When the Bidens bought the Delaware mansion, Joe said in a statement that it was the culmination of a lifelong dream.
His main residence in his life has been in Wilmington, Delaware, 100 miles away.
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