A top Polish official appeared to draw an unflattering comparison between President Biden’s Thursday debate performance and the decline of ancient Rome. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski made the comment in an X post Friday. The statement was posted in English, hinting at an intention for English-speaking audiences as Sikorski usually posts in Polish.
Sikorski’s X post targeted Marcus Aurelius’s son, Commodus, whose reign marked the end of Pax Romana, an era of peace and prosperity in ancient Rome. “Marcus Aurelius was a great emperor but he screwed up his succession by passing the baton to his feckless son Commodus (He, from the Gladiator),” Sikorski wrote. “Whose disastrous rule started Rome’s decline. It’s important to manage one’s ride into the sunset.”
Biden’s recent debate performance has sparked commentary across the world, prompting increased concern about his advanced age and declining cognitive abilities. Media publications in Russia, China, Iran, and other countries covered the debate, using it as an opportunity to criticize the U.S.
Rebekah Koffler, a strategic military intelligence analyst and author of “Putin’s Playbook,” told Fox News Digital that most foreign publications “are derogatory of both candidates and mocking America.” “Bottom line, Moscow feels confident that the societal crisis that has engulfed the U.S. is good for Russia,” Koffler said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for additional comment but did not immediately hear back. Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken contributed to this report. Andrea Vacchiano is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. You can follow her on X at @andrea_vacchiano or send story tips to andrea.vacchiano@fox.com.
