President Joe Biden’s attempt to quell concerns about his presidential campaign at the NATO summit backfired, with a series of noticeable blunders reigniting worries about his age and mental sharpness. The most glaring error came when Biden mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin during an event on the sidelines of the summit, sparking immediate astonishment and online ridicule. 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, according to 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 downplay the significance of his verbal slip-ups, highlighting the praise from world leaders who deemed the NATO conference a success. Despite his efforts, the press conference became a defining moment for Biden’s struggling campaign and potentially his last chance to demonstrate his competence and mental agility before world leaders and lawmakers left Washington.
Republicans wasted no time in capitalizing on Biden’s mistakes, sharing video clips of the gaffes on social media. Former President Trump, who has relentlessly attacked Biden’s mental fitness, joined in, sharing clips on his Truth Social platform with the caption: “Great job, Joe!” Although Biden confidently answered questions regarding China policy and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and EU, his performance was unlikely to shift the prevailing sentiment in Washington that has been prominent since his debate performance.
Earlier in the day, the New York Times reported that several long-time advisors 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 take over as the top candidate. Biden’s spokespeople asserted that his team remained supportive, but the suggestion that even his closest advisors might be urging him to step down signaled a potentially decisive setback following a challenging week.
