APEC delivers humiliating farewell for Biden

As APEC host, Peru’s president relegated Biden to the back row for the customary “family photo” at last week’s summit. The snub evoked global schadenfreude that bordered on elder abuse. I doubt any president has ever faced such humiliation on the world stage. Mind you, Trump is roughly the same age. And say what you will about him, no foreign leader would’ve dared to diss him like this — lame-duck or not.

This snub should’ve outraged all Americans. But America is a country so divided against itself that MAGA Republicans led the chorus, reveling in their own president’s humiliation. Even so, if President-elect Trump had one patriotic bone among his spurs, he would’ve condemned Peru’s president for such a brazen display of disrespect.

E pluribus unum. ‘America First’?

More to the point, Trump could’ve earned begrudging respect from Democrats by posting something like this:

No matter our differences, “America First” means we’re all Americans first. Disrespecting any US president disrespects every US citizen. Any foreign leader who does will soon regret it. Peru’s president owes President Biden — and, more importantly, the American people — an apology. And she’d be wise to offer it before I take office in January.

But Trump was too busy planning his triumphant return to Madison Square Garden for a UFC event — complete with his cabinet picks trailing behind him like Caesar’s retinue.

Biden’s profile in leadership

Ironically, Biden demonstrated patriotic leadership last month by warning Iran there would be war if it even attempted to assassinate Trump, who was merely a presidential candidate. But this is just the latest case of Trump refusing to show other politicians, even fellow members of the exclusive presidents’ club, the respect they continually show him.

Indeed, it seems the more contempt Trump shows them, the more respect they show him. In this case, Trump’s failure to have Biden’s back stand in stark contrasts with how Biden invited him to the White House just days after winning the 2024 election. Biden sought to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. But Trump, unsurprisingly, showed no hint of irony or shame — especially given the riotous way he refused to ensure the same after losing in 2020.