President Joe Biden mistakenly confused Vice President Kamala Harris with former President Donald Trump as his vice president during a solo press conference Thursday.
Democrats were waiting for Biden’s NATO press conference using a teleprompter, a critical moment that could decide if party members would ultimately withdrawal support for the president if he performed poorly. Some speculated that many Democrats would end their support of Biden’s candidacy after the press conference. So far, thirteen House Democrats and one Senate Democrat have publicly called for Biden to quit the race.
When questioned about the political viability of Harris to beat Trump if Biden were to step down as the presumptive Democrat nominee, Biden mixed up Harris with Trump, the second time in one day he has confused individuals.“My question for you is, how are you incorporating these developments into your decision to stay and separately, what concerns do you have about Vice President Harris’s ability to beat Donald Trump if she were at the ticket?” a reporter asked Biden.
“Look, I would have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president — Do I think she’s not qualified to be president. Let’s start there,” Biden said:
NOW - Biden: "I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President if she's not qualified to be President." pic.twitter.com/5WdkcndZyH
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) July 11, 2024
What did he say? pic.twitter.com/S2mTsCqer7
— ACT For America (@ACTforAmerica) July 11, 2024
The gaffe is the second in one day. Biden introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin at the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, correcting himself seconds later with an incoherent explanation.
Biden, whom Special Counsel Robert Hur described as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” struggles to participate in unscripted events, the Wall Street Journal reported, and is often helped by aides who remind him of information.
Trump mocked Biden for the gaffe, saying “Great job, Joe” in a X post:
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) July 11, 2024
Biden suffers from atrial fibrillation, peripheral neuropathy in his feet, and hyperlipidemia, according to his annual physical by physician Kevin O’Connor. The health challenges might explain why he struggles to remain upright. Biden tripped, tumbled, and stumbled at least five times during his presidency.
In January, Biden met with three doctors, according to the New York Post’s Jon Levine: O’Connor; Dr. Kevin Cannard, a Parkinson’s specialist from Walter Reed; and Dr. John E. Atwood, a cardiologist from Walter Reed.
Biden implemented a strategy of walking to and from Marine One with multiple aides to “draw less attention” to his physical ailments, Axios’s Hans Nichols and Alex Thompson reported in April. Biden also began boarding Air Force One from the shorter steps at the rear of the aircraft instead of the taller staircase at the front.
Biden does not wear typical dress shoes with his suits. He wears a specially crafted sports shoe to help him walk, a typical wardrobe change for the elderly.
Seventy-two percent of registered voters believe Biden does not have the “mental” and “cognitive health” to serve as president, a CBS News/YouGov poll found in July, up seven points post-debate.
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former GOP War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.
