There was an embarrassing slip of the tongue at the NATO summit: When US President Biden wanted to announce the appearance of Ukrainian President Zelensky, he mistakenly introduced him as “President Putin”. According to reports, some of his advisers have now expressed doubts about their victory in the US elections.
Washington – US President Joe Biden mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” at the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday. “Gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said of Zelensky before correcting himself. In a press conference, Biden defended his run in the presidential election. He is “the most qualified person” to beat his Republican rival, Donald “Trump.”
Video | Biden calls Zelensky “Putin” at NATO summit
“I’m not there for my heritage. “I’m there to finish the job,” Biden told reporters who asked him about his candidacy. Biden has been under scrutiny since a televised duel against Trump in late June cast doubt on his mental and physical fitness.
“I made stupid mistakes in the debate,” he admitted. But: “I am the most qualified person to do this job, to ensure that Ukraine succeeds and that the alliance remains strong.” At the same time, he indicated that he had already defeated Trump.
Zelenskyj reacts with humor
Biden previously spoke at the summit about Russia’s aggressive war and then wanted to give the floor to Zelensky. He said: “Now I give the lead to the President of Ukraine, who has so much courage and determination. Ladies and gentlemen: President Putin.”
Even as he turned away from the lecture, the 81-year-old noticed the mistake. He immediately corrected himself and said apologetically that he was so focused on defeating Putin. Zelensky, who was standing next to him on stage, jokingly told him: “I’m better.”
I am better.
Volodymyr Zelensky (President of Ukraine)
His colleagues were conciliatory after the demise. “Language slips happen, and if you look at everyone all the time, you’ll find a lot of them,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said when reporters asked about the incident. “But that doesn’t change what the US President clearly said in his speech.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also said that it happens to everyone from time to time, so he promised himself that it would happen to him too. His meeting with Biden on Wednesday was “detailed and precise.”
Doubts about Biden’s candidacy
The media previously reported that some of Biden’s advisers were not convinced that the 81-year-old could win the presidential election in November. In recent days, Biden advisers have tried to find ways to convince Biden to withdraw from the race, it has been reported New York Times citing anonymous sources.
Biden remains adamant that he wants to stay in the race. According to the newspaper, his closest circle of advisers, including his family, would also be in favor of this.
The White House denied that the Biden team would stand united behind the Democrats. “This is clearly not true,” the newspaper quoted Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, as saying. “President Biden’s team is fully behind him.”
He has to go out. He will not recover from this.
Representative Biden (unnamed)
But US broadcaster NBC also reported that many of Biden’s allies see the chances of winning the November election as zero. “He has to go out,” the station quoted an unnamed representative from the Biden campaign team as saying. “He’ll never make it out of here.”
Party colleagues want to quit
Ahead of Biden’s highly anticipated press conference, senior advisers to the US president met with senators. Among other things, the chairman of the Biden campaign team, Jen O’Malley Dillon, was supposed to campaign for support for the incumbent in the Conference Room on Thursday.
The Democrat was a senator himself for more than three decades – from 1973 to 2009. Asked if aides could address the chamber’s concerns about the election, Senator Joe Manchin replied: “Only the president can do that.”
In the Senate, as well as in the other chamber, the House of Representatives, there are fears that a slide by the president in the polls would also damage his party’s chances in Congress. On November 5, in addition to the president, a third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives will be re-elected.
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