At the latest NATO Summit held in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden made a series of gaffes that have reignited discussions about his mental acuity and suitability for a next term. Introducing Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, the U.S President mistakenly referred to him as “President Putin.”
“And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” he said, referring to Zelensky. He quickly corrected himself with a joke. “President Putin? He’s gonna beat President Putin!”
Biden referred to Kamala Harris as Vice President Trump
In another slip, while addressing the media questions he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as ‘Vice President Trump’, “Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if she was not qualified to be president. So start there.”
Calls for Biden to Drop Out from the race
These errors have fueled calls from some Democrats for Biden to consider stepping down from the 2024 presidential race in favor of a younger candidate. Concerns about his age and mental sharpness are growing among political allies and opponents alike. Biden, 81, has faced increased scrutiny as he campaigns for re-election, with critics arguing that his frequent verbal missteps are a sign of cognitive decline.
While several other world leaders defended Biden. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, “Slips of tongue happen, and if you always monitor everyone, you will find enough of them,” Scholz told the press at the summit. Macron emphasized the importance of focusing on Biden’s policies and leadership rather than occasional minor verbal errors.
Biden’s political rival, Donald Trump, wasted no time mocking the slip-ups on social media.
He took his social media and said, “Crooked Joe begins his ‘Big Boy’ Press Conference with, ‘I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president… Great job, Joe!” Trump posted. This response was in line with Trump’s ongoing strategy of questioning Biden’s competence and fitness for office, a tactic he has employed since the 2020 election.
‘Big Boy’ News Conference
Thursday’s news conference came to be informally known as the “big boy” news conference, a moniker that made the rounds online and in late-night comedy ahead of the event. The nickname has become a trending topic, further highlighting the incident’s impact on public discourse.
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