Three upcoming elections—in the United States, France and Iran—all present worrisome prospects on the horizon for global politics.
In the United States, the first debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump took place yesterday and quickly reinforced concerns about Biden’s age. There are still no signs that Biden lacks any cognitive ability to make policy decisions, but yesterday’s debate put on stark display the physical toll that aging—Biden is 81 years old, compared to Trump’s 78—has taken on the president.
Those concerns, now more prominent than ever before, have put Biden on the backfoot heading into the presidential election in November. Under normal circumstances, at least from a foreign policy perspective, Biden’s first term likely would have strengthened him heading into a rematch against a chaotic, populist candidate like Trump. But in today’s political climate, the White House’s return to stable policies and relations, including support for U.S. allies Ukraine and Israel, are not resonating with swing voters, and not even with some parts of Biden’s own coalition.