During the announcement of the “Ukraine Compact,” a new initiative to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, Biden introduced Zelenskyy as “President Putin.” Realizing his error, he corrected himself, adding, “Zelenskyy is gonna beat President Putin.” Zelenskyy took the gaffe in stride, jokingly responding, “I’m better,” to which Biden replied, “You’re a hell of a lot better.”
Later, at a solo press conference, Biden referred to Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” while answering a question. He quickly clarified, saying, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president [if] I think she’s not qualified to be president.”
These slips come at a critical time for Biden, who faces increasing scrutiny over his age and mental fitness for another term. His performance at the press conference, initially shaky, improved as he continued to take questions.
Former President Donald Trump seized on Biden’s mistakes, mocking him on his social media platform, Truth Social. Biden, when asked about Trump’s remarks, laughed it off and later tweeted a pointed response, contrasting Harris’s role as a prosecutor with Trump’s legal troubles.
