Joe Biden accidentally introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin,” a mistake that will heighten concerns about his mental capacity and threaten to derail his presidential campaign, US media reported.
Biden made the mistake during a signing ceremony with Zelensky on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington, when he was accompanied by NATO leaders. It came just an hour before Biden’s rare news conference, described as “crucial or watershed” for his campaign as a growing number of political allies and donors call for him to withdraw from the race.
As Biden concluded his opening statement, he handed it to Zelensky with the words:
“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!”
A number of European leaders froze in bewilderment. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni turned their heads in surprise when Biden mentioned the Russian leader, and other European leaders broke into awkward applause.
Realising his mistake, Biden caught himself and said
“President Putin! We’re going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskiy. I’m so focused on beating Putin. We’ve got to worry about it. Anyway, Mr President.”
“I’m better,” Zelensky said, shaking Biden’s hand.
“You are a hell of a lot better,” Biden responded in concluding his remarks.
The remark prompted a gasp in the press centre, where hundreds of journalists were watching the remarks live. Several people in the audience shouted “Zelensky” to correct Biden’s mistake, after which he returned to the stage.
Zelensky was scheduled to give a press conference at the end of the NATO summit an hour later. But journalists waiting for him were quickly informed that the event had been cancelled, meaning he would not have to answer questions about Biden’s gaffe.
Biden mixes Harris with Trump
US President Joe Biden said also on Thursday that his deputy, Vice President Kamala Harris, is “qualified” to lead the county.
At a press conference here, Biden said, “From the very beginning, I made no bones about that. She is qualified to be the president. That’s why I picked her.” When asked about the reasons for this, he said “Firstly because of the way she’s handled the issue of freedom of women’s bodies, to have control of their bodies and secondly, her ability to handle almost any issue on the board.” “This was a hell of a prosecutor. She was a first rate person and in the Senate, she was really good. I wouldn’t have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be the president,” Biden said.
The president mistakenly referred to Kamala Harris as Donald Trump during the press conference. He said, “I wouldn’t have picked Trump to be the vice president, did I think she was not qualified to be president….” “The fact is that the consideration is that I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once and I will beat him again,” Biden said.
Instant reaction
Biden’s bloopers sparked online mockery and heightened concerns about the future of the presidential campaign. At Biden’s press conference, when he reiterated that he intends to continue to run for president, “the audience caught every word,” but the speech failed to offset the impact of his unsuccessful debate with Trump in late June.
Immediately after the press conference, at least three Democratic lawmakers called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, including Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. In all, at least 15 Democratic members of the House said it was necessary to “make room for a new candidate.”
Against this background, Biden assured that he is ready to continue the fight for the presidency “not for the sake of his legacy, but to finish the job he started” and is capable of serving as head of state for the next four years, calling himself the most suitable candidate. The politician also said that his health condition does not require additional checks, but is ready to do so again if required by doctors.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre reported that Biden undergoes “verbal checks” by a doctor “a couple of times a week” during training and thorough medical examinations annually. She also said the president has shown no signs of nervous system disorders, including Parkinson’s disease.
Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis commented on X:
“It is becoming clearer by the day that, one way or another, Biden will not be President in 2025. The question for the EU’s leaders is then this: Do they want to pit Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas (politicians whose repertoire starts/ends with a YES to Washington) vs Trump?”
