President Joe Biden sought to allay concerns about his presidential campaign, yet a series of notable blunders at the NATO summit on Thursday reignited worries regarding his age and mental sharpness.
Biden caused astonishment and immediate online ridicule when he mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin during an event on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
Adding to the confusion, he later confused his vice president, Kamala Harris, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump while answering the first question at his heavily watched press conference, as per a Bloomberg report.
“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,” Biden said.
“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president — did I think she’s not qualified to be president?” Biden stated. “So let’s start there. Number one, the fact is that the consideration is that I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president.”
Biden tried to minimise the significance of his verbal slip-ups, highlighting the commendations from world leaders who deemed the NATO conference a success.
Despite his efforts, the press conference was a pivotal moment for Biden’s struggling campaign and potentially his last opportunity to demonstrate his competence and mental agility before world leaders and lawmakers left Washington. Republicans quickly capitalised on the mistakes, sharing video clips of the gaffes on social media.
Former President Trump also joined in, sharing clips on his Truth Social platform with the caption: “Great job, Joe!”
Although Biden confidently addressed questions regarding China policy and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by the US and EU, his performance was unlikely to alter the prevailing sentiments in Washington that have been prominent since his debate performance.
Earlier in the day, the New York Times reported that several long-time advisers were exploring ways to convince the 81-year-old president to withdraw from the race. The report also indicated that his campaign was assessing how Harris would perform against Trump if she were to assume the top spot on the ticket.
Biden’s spokespeople asserted that his team remained supportive, but the indication that even his closest advisors might be urging him to step down signalled a potentially decisive setback following a challenging week.
