Joe Biden referred to Volodymyr Zelensky as ‘President Putin’ and Kamala Harris as ‘Vice President Trump’ in a pair of significant gaffes that are likely to exacerbate the crisis engulfing his administration.
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On stage at an international summit, the US president, who is under pressure to step down due to age concerns, mistook the Ukrainian president for Russia’s leader.
He then addressed Harris, his vice president, as ‘Vice President Trump’.
The gaffes occurred at the conclusion of a NATO summit in Washington, DC, which had been billed as an opportunity to save Biden’s struggling reelection campaign.
Standing on a stage with 23 other allied world leaders, Biden spoke for several minutes about the importance of protecting Ukraine from Russian aggression before introducing Zelensky by the incorrect name.
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Standing on a stage with 23 other allied world leaders, Biden spoke for several minutes about the importance of protecting Ukraine from Russian aggression before introducing Zelensky using the incorrect name.
‘Now, I want to hand over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination,’ he said. ‘Ladies and gentlemen: President Putin.’
He returned to the microphone and tried to explain the error. ‘I’m so focused on beating Putin,’ he said.
‘I’m better,’ Zelensky replied. ‘You’re a hell of a lot better,’ Biden said back.
Ninety minutes later, during a second press conference, Biden was asked if Kamala Harris was capable of taking over his position if necessary.
‘I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, that I think she was not qualified to be president,’ he replied.
Donald Trump immediately seized on the opportunity, writing on social media, ‘Great work, Joe!’
The clips were quickly shared online by official Republican Party accounts.
Biden later defended his health, but said he needed to ‘allay’ concerns by attending more public events.
Following two weeks of criticism for his performance at the presidential debate on June 27, the president’s advisers were bracing for the possibility of more errors on the world stage.
The two gaffes sparked renewed calls for Biden to end his campaign and make way for a younger candidate.
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Picture: SAUL LOEB / AFP