Joe Biden skips gala dinner at G-20 summit in Indonesia; White House issues clarification

The G20 gala dinner has world leaders from all around the world on its guest list. However, one prominent figure, who was found missing from the Gala dinner, was none other than the president of the USA, Joe Biden. The Washington Times reported that President Biden, “unexpectedly skipped” the gala dinner, which was held on Tuesday at the G20 Summit in Bali Indonesia.  

According to The Washington Times, the White House provided little to no explanation of US President Biden’s absence. The official said that “the President had spent a full day in meetings and needed to attend to a few things,” stressing that there was “nothing urgent that commanded his attention.” The official then added that “President Biden is expected to resume his normal schedule on Wednesday.”

Biden met the Cambodian PM who tested positive for COVID 

Biden was among the world leaders who met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the recent ASEAN summit. However, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen who attended the G20 Summit, cancelled his visit shortly after he tested positive for COVID-19. 

More than a dozen world leaders including Biden met Hun Sen in Cambodia at the summit which was organised in Phnom Penh. Hun Sen confirmed the news in a Facebook post stating that due to his positive results, “the Prime Minister has decided to lead the delegation back to the homeland.” Amidst all this, the White House official made it clear that President Biden does not have COVID-19, but offered little explanation of the sudden absence.