US President Joe Biden on Sunday, July 11, misleadingly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” during the NATO summit, in another major setback for the 81-year-old, who is is under intense scrutiny amid concerns over his mental condition and clamour for his withdrawal from running for the president's post.
Joe Biden said, "And now I wanna hand it over to the President of Ukraine who has as much courage as he has. Determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin."
The US President also mixed up vice president, Kamala Harris, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Recent incidents, including the June Presidential debate where the Democratic Party candidate almost fell asleep on stage, sparked controversy over his fitness to contest in the upcoming November US elections.
The presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump used this this opportunity to launch a stinging attack on Biden. In response, Biden, the 46th US President, stated, “By the way: Yes, I know the difference. One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon.”
Netizens were quick to react to the gaffes, as one user stated, “The president refused to step down as he slurred his way through the press conference however he did exceed expectations.” He mockingly added, “Biden truly feels like he has done a phenomenal job as president, meaning forcing him to step down will be difficult.”
Another user added, “And then immediately corrected himself. I get that doesn’t make the headline.” A third user remarked, “It seems everyone is out to get Biden at this stage, why is this even a breaking news! I guess it’s high time for Biden to step down as it’s looking like the odds are against him regarding the forthcoming US elections.”
A fifth user commented, “Jill Biden is behind all of this, she cares more about power than her own “husbands” wellbeing.” A sixth user wrote, “You couldn’t make this up if you wanted to. Right before his “big boy” press conference nonetheless.” A seventh user wrote, “I’m laughing my arse off.”
The White House issued a letter recently from the President's personal doctor, Kevin O'Connor, following a lacklustre performance at the June debate which came in response to accusations that he has Parkinson's disease.
In the letter Joe Biden stated, "I am firmly committed to staying in the race," AFP reported. It further stated, “It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party and defeat Donald Trump.”
"I don't walk as easy as I used to, I don't speak as smoothly as I used to, I don't debate as well as I used to," Joe Biden said, the day after the TV showdown as he pledged to beat his rival. He claimed that jet lag and exhaustion due to earlier visits to France and Italy were the reasons behind his disastrous performance on stage.
