Biden introduces Zelensky as Putin at NATO ceremony

U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attend the launch of the Ukraine Compact during the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2024. NATO leaders are meeting in Washington this week for their annual summit to discuss future strategy and commitments and mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary. (Getty Images via AFP)

WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden, who is under intense scrutiny over his fitness for office, unexpectedly introduced Ukrainian President Zelensky Russian strongman Vladimir Putin NATO ceremony Then correct yourself.

The 81-year-old quickly corrected himself, with Zelensky quipping that he was “better” than Putin, but the gaffe heightened concerns about Biden’s age and mental acuity after his disastrous debate performance with Donald Trump two weeks ago. “Ladies and gentlemen, now I want to hand over to the president of Ukraine, who has the courage and the resolve, President Putin,” Biden said as he announced the NATO-Ukraine deal at a Washington summit. Biden left the podium, then returned to shout: “President Putin! He’s going to beat President Putin. President Zelensky – I’m so focused on beating Putin that we have to worry about that. Whatever, Mr. President.” “I’m better,” replied Zelensky, a former TV comedian turned wartime leader of Ukraine opposing a 2022 Russian invasion. Biden’s Republican opponents began circulating the video within minutes. The gaffe came at an inopportune time as Biden was due to hold the White House’s so-called “big shot” press conference later on Thursday, his first major appearance since the debate. The solo appearance was a rare, unscheduled press conference, and comes amid growing calls within the Democratic Party for him to step down. The news conference was due to begin at 6:30 p.m. (22:30 GMT) but is expected to be delayed by about an hour. Democrats have continued to call on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. Hollywood actor and well-connected Democratic supporter George Clooney has called on Biden to drop out of the race, while party leader Nancy Pelosi has not fully supported him. About 14 Democratic House members and one Democratic senator have publicly urged Biden, who defeated Trump four years ago, to drop out of the race. A poll released on Thursday showed that more than half of Democrats said Biden should stop running for re-election, and two-thirds of Americans think he should drop out.

‘Devastating’

But the former and current presidents are still neck and neck in approval ratings at 46%, according to the Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. Biden’s campaign is quietly testing Vice President Kamala Harris’ strength in a potential showdown with Trump, The New York Times reported. The newspaper also cited anonymous sources as saying that, meanwhile, some of the president’s longtime aides are discussing how to convince him to step down. The White House said the report was “undoubtedly” false. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday that he was talking to every representative in the party, adding that they would “meet as a leadership team to determine next steps.” The once-talkative Biden has held fewer press conferences than his predecessors, with recent ones limited to foreign leaders, answering just two questions each. Combined with the lack of interviews, critics have accused the White House of covering up the impact of age on the nation’s oldest president. Biden called his loss in the debate a “bad night” and blamed it on a cold and jet lag. But Clooney tried to push back against the idea that it was just a one-time incident, calling the admission “shocking,” but signs of it were also evident at a June 15 fundraiser he hosted in Los Angeles. Biden insists he is committed to running in November and that there is no way to really force him out given the votes he has already collected in the Democratic primary. His campaign launched a new ad campaign on Thursday, the final day of a NATO summit, to fight back, portraying Trump as Putin’s “lackey.” NATO allies are also seeking reassurance about Biden’s leadership and fear the return of an isolationist Trump who praises Putin could spell trouble for the alliance.