Sir Keir Starmer was set to meet Joe Biden in the White House on Wednesday just days after becoming Prime Minister and as the president battles to convince America that he is fit for a second term in office.
The new premier was in Washington for a crunch Nato summit where the West will seek to put on a show of strength and support for Ukraine against Vladimir Putin’s war.
He was due to meet Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky and other world leaders in bilateral metings including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
But the spotlight will be beaming intensely on Mr Biden amid growing questions over whether he may be forced to pull out of the presidential race, especially if he were to make another stumbling performance at a press conference on the final day of the Nato summit on Thursday.
Sir Keir was due to meet the president for talks in the Oval Office which were expected to cover Ukraine, China and economic issues.
The Labour leader and Democrat president were also set to stress the strength of the Special Relationship between Britain and America, particularly amid the growing threat from China, Russia and Iran.
Mr Biden, 81, has had at times tense relations with previous Tory administrations, notably saying in spring last year that he flew to Ireland, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, but also to make sure “the Brits didn’t screw around” amid a Brexit trade row.
A free trade deal between America and Britain, promised by Brexiteers during the 2016 referendum, has also made little if any progress under his administration.
But Mr Biden’s most pressing concern will be persuading Democrats that he is not too old for a second term in office, as more and more senior party members put pressure on him to stand aside following his stumbling performance in a TV showdown with Donald Trump.
Ex-president Trump is revelling in the mounting turmoil surrounding Mr Biden ‘s campaign in the wake of their debate.
After days spent lying low, golfing and letting Democratic infighting play out in public, Mr Trump used his return to the campaign trail in Florida on Tuesday to ratchet up his attacks on both Mr Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, indulging speculation that she could replace the president as the Democratic nominee this year.
Mr Biden has repeatedly insisted he won’t withdraw from the race.
Trump, speaking from the 10th hole of one of his Miami-area golf courses, challenged Mr Biden to another debate or even a “golf-off”.
“Our victory was so absolute that Joe’s own party now wants him to throw in the towel and surrender the presidency after a single 90-minute performance,” Trump said Tuesday night.
“They want `Crooked Joe’ out of the race. It’s a shame the way they’re treating him. But don’t feel sorry for him. He’s a very bad guy.”
But James Singer, a spokesperson for Biden’s campaign, responded to Trump with a series of challenges, saying in a statement: “We’d challenge Donald Trump to create jobs, but he lost 3 million.
“We’d challenge Donald Trump to stand up to Putin, but he bent the knee to him.
“We’d challenge Donald Trump to follow the law, but he breaks it.”
Trump was found guilty in May on all counts in an historic New York trial, becoming the first former or sitting president to be convicted of a crime.
He was unanimously convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
A six-week trial heard from 22 witnesses, including former porn star Stormy Daniels, whose alleged sexual encounter with the former president was at the centre of the case.
The prospect of Trump being returned to the White House in November’s election is a cause for concern in Nato given his past criticisms of the alliance and his threats to reduce aid to Ukraine.
European Nato states face shouldering a greater burden as part of a drive to “Trump proof” the alliance should the Republican candidate return to office and weaken US commitment to the 32-nation bloc.
