Moment reporters frantically search for checked out Biden as lame duck president misses photo with G20 leaders: 'He's behind the palm tree!'

Reporters could beryllium heard calling retired for President Joe Biden arsenic satellite leaders astatine the G20 Summit successful Rio de Janeiro gathered for a last photo, but the 81-year-old person was a no-show. 

Biden was obscurity to beryllium seen until moments aft the representation was taken erstwhile photographers and reporters frantically searched for the person of the escaped satellite until 1 cameraman spotted him down a adjacent thenar tree. 

In footage changeable by CSPAN determination appeared to beryllium utter disorder arsenic dignitaries were unsure whether to permission the risers erected for the photograph oregon to enactment enactment and hold for Biden to return. 

As the photograph was being taken CSPAN's camera sum of the lawsuit picked up staffers saying, 'Where is Biden? They are telling them to hold for Biden.' 

'Guys! Oh my God!' a pistillate newsman could beryllium heard saying disconnected camera. 

'They took it! He's close determination - down the thenar histrion close now!' the unnamed pistillate said, incredulous that Biden had missed the iconic shoot.   

Biden has been making a past transportation for planetary enactment connected issues from Ukraine and Gaza to climate change earlier Donald Trump returns to the White House.

But alternatively of the US president, it was China's Xi Jinping, India's Narendra Modi and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who joked and chatted successful the beforehand enactment earlier posing together.

The person chatted and joked arsenic they gathered to airs against the backdrop of Rio's iconic Sugarloaf Mountain. The sprout was implicit successful a second. 

Frustrated American officials blamed it connected 'logistical issues' and said the representation was taken excessively soon, arsenic Biden was inactive making his mode to the country from talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

By the clip Biden decided to marque his mode implicit to articulation the photograph shoot, it was each implicit and the risers, moments earlier afloat of his counterparts were emptying acceptable beside the Brazilian city's stunning bayside

Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni besides missed retired arsenic they were huddling with Biden astatine the clip nearby. 

'They took the photograph aboriginal earlier each the leaders had arrived. So a fig of the leaders weren't really there,' a US official told the property excavation instantly aft the drawback was taken.  

But portion the contented did not look to person been a deliberate snub, it reflected the progressively sidelined presumption of the lame-duck person arsenic Trump's comeback looms.

The information that it was the leaders of 3 BRICS countries successful the beforehand enactment that spot themselves arsenic a counterpart to a Western-dominated satellite did not help.

US officials denied that Biden missed the photograph -- officially for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's motorboat of an confederation to curb satellite hunger -- to debar appearing alongside Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Biden had earlier urged the G20 leaders to enactment Ukraine's "sovereignty" successful the look of Russia's 2022 invasion.

In different incident, US officials played down footage of the person of the world's biggest system and astir almighty subject seemingly straying from the reddish carpet connected the mode into the summit.

The US officials said that 'several' leaders from 'countries that look precocious threats' took a antithetic way similar Biden did, adjacent if Brazilian media said they did not spot immoderate others.

However, the missteps travel successful the twilight of a presidency whose achievements are acceptable to conscionable a Trump-shaped wrecking shot travel January 20 adjacent year.

Biden dropped retired of the statesmanlike predetermination against Trump aft a disastrous statement raised concerns astir his age, but helium inactive saw his Democratic replacement, Kamala Harris, suffer heavy to the Republican.

Now his six-day circuit of South America has turned into a hopeless frenzy to reassure satellite leaders amid uncertainty astir what Trump volition bring, from commercialized wars to threats to upending aged alliances.

At the G20 connected Monday, Biden had urged the different leaders to backmost Ukraine's 'sovereignty,' successful his archetypal comments since it emerged connected Sunday that helium had approved Kyiv's usage of long-range missiles against Russia.

Yet Trump could reverse not lone that decision, but besides Biden's immense US subject assistance for Ukraine, with signs that the president-elect whitethorn propulsion done a bid woody that could unit Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow.

Biden besides pushed G20 leaders to unit Hamas connected a ceasefire woody with Israel -- and portion Trump has appointed immoderate cardinal Israel hawks, helium whitethorn besides effort to propulsion for a historical woody determination too.

Time and again, Biden has utilized his valedictory quality connected the satellite signifier to effort to support his policies retired of Trump's shadow.

At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) acme successful Lima past week, Biden met with Xi, who promised to enactment with Trump connected a 'smooth' modulation adjacent arsenic some leaders warned of turbulence ahead.

On Sunday, Biden visited the Amazon rainforest successful Brazil to beforehand his grounds connected clime alteration - contempt Trump threatening to propulsion the United States backmost retired of the Paris clime agreement.

At the G20 helium announced what the White House called a 'historic' $4 cardinal pledge for a World Bank money that helps the world's poorest countries.

But US officials admitted that determination was nary mode they could 'Trump-proof' the wealth if Trump - who has appointed tech tycoon Elon Musk to caput a committee connected cutting authorities 'waste' - scraps the plan.