Biden and Trump’s Repeated Gaffes Fuel Concerns About Their Fitness for Office
As concerns grow about former President Donald Trump (77) and President Joe Biden (81) being too old to serve another term in office, here’s a recap of their recent gaffes and missteps:
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Biden (April 24):
During a speech, Biden appeared to read aloud a teleprompter direction to “pause”: “Imagine what we can do next, four more years, pause,” he said, prompting the crowd to chant “four more years.”*
Biden (April 17):
Biden visited a Scranton, Pennsylvania, World War II memorial honoring his uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, and suggested twice that Finnegan’s body may have been cannibalized, despite official records indicating he died in a plane crash.*
Biden (April 16):
In an interview with a local CBS affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama, Biden said, “I made it clear to the Israelis—don’t move on Haifa,” likely referring to Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip city where millions of Palestinians have taken refuge.*
Trump (March 25):
Trump claimed the “top person” at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) was upset that Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) did not trade on the exchange, but it’s unclear who he was referring to.*
Trump (March 25):
Trump also claimed that TMTG decided not to trade on the NYSE due to his ongoing court cases, but TMTG has begun trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange, also located in New York.*
Trump (March 16):
At a rally in Dayton, Ohio, Trump mistakenly referred to former President Barack Obama, possibly confusing himself with Obama.*
Trump (March 9):
In a speech in Rome, Georgia, Trump claimed “the polls are rigged” before abruptly backtracking and saying “disregard that last statement.”*
Biden (State of the Union speech, March 7):
Biden misidentified Laken Riley, a student murdered on the University of Georgia campus, and briefly stated that the 2021 Capitol riot took place on July 6.*
Trump (March 2):
Trump appeared to confuse Obama with Biden, alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “so little respect for Obama.”*
Trump (Feb. 24):
In a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump seemed to endorse Biden, saying he agrees with Putin’s preference for Biden over Trump.*
Trump (Feb. 24):
In the same speech, Trump appeared to forget his wife’s name, responding to applause by saying “Mercedes,” though his campaign claimed it was a reference to Mercedes Schlapp.*
Biden (Feb. 8):
Biden referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as “the president of Mexico.”*
Biden (Feb. 7):
Biden twice referred to German Chancellor Angela Merkel by the name of the late German leader Helmut Kohl.*
Trump (Jan. 19):
Trump confused his sole remaining GOP primary opponent, Nikki Haley, with Nancy Pelosi.*
Biden (Nov. 20):
Biden mistakenly referred to Taylor Swift as “Britney [Spears].”*
Trump (Oct. 23):
Trump confused the leaders of Turkey and Hungary and botched a geographical reference.*
Biden (Sept. 11):
Biden falsely stated he was in New York on Sept. 12, 2001, claiming he surveyed the damage at Ground Zero the day after the attacks.*
Biden (June 27):
Biden repeatedly mixed up the wars in Ukraine and Iraq, including stating that inflation was tied to “a war in Iraq.”These gaffes and missteps have raised concerns about the mental and physical fitness of both Biden and Trump, especially given their advanced age. Polls consistently show that Biden’s age is a greater concern for voters than Trump’s, and there have been calls for one or both candidates to drop out of the race.
While some experts have cautioned against reading too much into the candidates’ verbal slip-ups, others believe they may indicate cognitive decline. Biden has argued that his age is a symbol of his decades of experience, while Trump has claimed he purposely confuses certain individuals and makes false claims.
Ultimately, it’s up to the voters to decide whether or not they believe Biden and Trump are fit for office.
