President Biden's past week was full of embarrassing gaffes
Biden’s week of gaffes continued Wednesday with an embarrassing teleprompter reading.
At a trade union conference in Washington, D.C., Biden, reading off a teleprompter, appeared to incorporate script instructions in the middle of his speech, resulting in an awkward applause line.
"Imagine what we could do next. Four more years, pause," he said before laughing as the audience began chanting, "Four more years."
Biden’s "pause" moment quickly led to online reactions ranging from outright mockery to concern.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) 2024 Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton on April 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden attended the conference to receive an official political endorsement from NABTU. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"I’m Ron Burgundy?" Fox News contributor Guy Benson joked, referencing the main character of the movie "Anchorman's" habit of reading anything exactly how it's written on the teleprompter.
OutKick founder Clay Travis agreed, "Joe Biden read the instruction ‘pause’ on the teleprompter. The guy is Ron Burgandy. He just keeps getting worse."
I’m Ron Burgundy? https://t.co/VHvdDg8Rkp pic.twitter.com/LpjpuOpPq8
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 24, 2024
"The best part about this isn’t that Biden pulled a Ron Burgundy and read ‘pause’ from the teleprompter, it’s that it took him a solid 6-7 seconds of confused silence to even understand what was happening. Outstanding," OutKick writer Ian Miller added.
Joe Biden read the instruction “pause” on the teleprompter. The guy is Ron Burgandy. He just keeps getting worse. pic.twitter.com/BOxuJiqQeG
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 24, 2024
"This man is not mentally fit to be President," Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks said.
The best part about this isn’t that Biden pulled a Ron Burgundy and read “pause” from the teleprompter, it’s that it took him a solid 6-7 seconds of confused silence to even understand what was happening
— Ian Miller (@ianmSC) April 24, 2024
Outstanding https://t.co/JPQMG3S3xf
"Good grief," actor Matthew Marsden exclaimed.
This man is not mentally fit to be President https://t.co/3IyyowQmgr
— Jim Banks (@Jim_Banks) April 24, 2024
Fox News contributor Steve Cortes explained, "Biden’s teleprompter blunders would be funny if he weren’t president. Here, he reads the ‘pause’ instruction — such directions are clearly differentiated on his screen, usually with multiple parentheses, telling the speaker ‘don’t say this part’!!!"
Good grief. https://t.co/jyIGU7o7bC
— Matthew Marsden (@matthewdmarsden) April 24, 2024
RedState columnist Buzz Patterson remarked, "Oh, we’re going to ‘pause’ his ‘four more years.’"
Biden’s teleprompter blunders would be funny if he weren’t president.
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) April 24, 2024
Here, he reads the “pause” instruction — such directions are clearly differentiated on his screen, usually with multiple parentheses, telling the speaker ‘don’t say this part’!!!pic.twitter.com/GyTPbDV880
"This is sad. (Pause & frown)," Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee wrote.
Oh, we’re going to “pause” his “four more years.” https://t.co/lsLf4SGHml
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) April 24, 2024
Biden has made multiple viral gaffes in the last week as he makes more public appearances. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Biden has made multiple gaffes and verbal mishaps within the last week. Just one day prior, the president was mocked for inadvertently claiming that he couldn’t be trusted over former President Trump.
"I don’t know why we’re surprised by Trump. How many times does he have to prove we can't be trusted?" Biden said.
On Monday, Biden was attacked for equivocating on the ongoing anti-Israel protests taking place on college campuses nationwide.
"I condemn the antisemitic protests. That’s why I have set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians," Biden told reporters.
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Biden nearly repeated the same gaffe twice by calling on his supporters to choose "freedom" over "democracy." (Photographer: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Last Thursday, Biden made a confusing statement urging people to "choose freedom over democracy."
"Are you ready to choose unity over division? Dignity over demolition? Truth over lies? Are you ready to choose freedom over democracy? Because that's America," Biden said.
Biden almost repeated that same gaffe Wednesday but appeared to catch himself.
"Are you ready to choose freedom over democracy—for democracy?" Biden said before the audience applauded.
As the RNC Research account pointed out, the official White House transcript did not include the word Biden saying the word "pause" at Wednesday's event, it just says "(inaudible)."
This is sad. (Pause & frown) https://t.co/xCdWoIf0gr
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) April 24, 2024
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to