The pressure on the Democratic Party is mounting as the elections draw closer and the doubts about Joe Biden‘s caliber as a president intensify. The presidential debate held by CNN last month between Donald Trump and Biden was alarming, to say the least. Trump’s overconfidence and Biden’s seeming inability to fathom what was going on was on full display during the live debate.
While concerns over Biden as a fitting candidate for the presidential race have been a matter of contention for a while now, the President has time and again clarified that he does not intend on stepping out of the competition despite his party’s internal pressure. At the NATO summit on Thursday, Biden made things worse for himself with yet another grave mistake he did while introducing Ukarine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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President Joe Biden Refers To President Zelenskyy As President Putin
Already under fire for his inability to deliver during the presidential debate ahead of the elections, President Joe Biden faced an awkward moment as he mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin.” The verbal slip is heavily shocking, especially given the long-ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
During the NATO event, Biden said while introducing Zelenskyy, “And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen — President Putin. President Putin.”
As soon as he realized his mistake, he attempted damage control by correcting himself. “He’s gonna beat President Putin, President Zelenskyy,” Biden said. Zelenskyy also handled the situation with grace, joking, “I’m better.” Biden responded, “You are a hell of a lot better.”
Joe Biden introduces Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin”:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 11, 2024
“And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.” pic.twitter.com/9ST5sEwS5e
The mix-up happened just an hour before Biden was scheduled to hold a press conference with reporters in Washington, D.C. It was also his first news conference since his stumbling performance in the debate against former President Donald Trump in late June.
What makes it worse for Biden is the timing. He is already facing increasing scrutiny over his mental acuity and competence.
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Joe Biden’s Slip Of Tongue Does Not Help His Cause Amid Already Growing Scrutiny
Joe Biden’s speech impediment, a stutter, has been known for decades. However, this recent mistake coupled with his debate performance and other verbal blunders can cause heavy damage to his chances of winning — or even contesting — the upcoming presidential elections.
The concerns about his cognitive abilities have grown immensely over the months as he is 81 years old, the oldest sitting president in U.S. history. A growing number of Democrats are urging Biden to reconsider his bid for re-election as the party’s presidential nominee. The pressure on Biden comes as his campaign is aimed at reassuring the public of his capability to lead the nation.
His campaigners tried best to further control the damage by posting a video clip of his gaffe on the social media platform X, and highlighting his ability to laugh at himself while addressing the slip-up.
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