President Joe Biden on Thursday introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "President Putin," appearing to refer to the Ukrainian head of state by the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The flub comes amid mounting pressure for Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee in light of his poor debate performance in which he stumbled over his answers and appeared lost on stage. He has thus far resisted such calls and insisted he is able to perform his duties, but such a misstatement is certain to do him no favors in assuaging concerns over his mental acuity.
“And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination," Biden said. "Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin!"
Biden then corrected himself, saying "President Putin? We’re gonna beat President Putin. President Zelensky! I'm so focused on beating Putin. We got to worry about it-- anyway, Mr. President."
OMG....
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 11, 2024
Biden: “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? We’re gonna beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy! I'm so focused on beating Putin. We got to… pic.twitter.com/624bgklYuQ
Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the war has persisted with no end in sight.
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