Video: Biden calls Ukraine's Zelenskyy 'President Putin' at NATO summit
United States President Joe Biden delivered an impassioned news conference on the last day of the NATO summit in Washington, DC, on Thursday in an attempt to allay worries about his advanced age and ability to lead. But before the speech even began, he committed a gaffe by referring to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine...Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin," Biden said, gesturing to Zelenskyy.
Zelensky responds with humor
Realizing the mistake, Biden quickly attempted to correct himself by telling the bewildered crowd, "President Putin! He's going to beat President Putin." "President Zelensky...I'm so focused on beating Putin we gotta worry about it. Anyway, Mr President." The audience gasped at the error but Zelensky laughed it off. Zelensky responded to Biden's misstep with humor, stating he was "better" than Putin.
Watch the video here
World leaders react supportively to Biden's verbal gaffe
Fellow leaders at the summit also appeared to be supportive of Biden. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz commented that "slips of the tongue happen," while French President Emmanuel Macron described Biden as appearing "in charge." Meanwhile, Britain's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted that Biden "was on good form." Both Biden and his rival, former President Donald Trump, are the two oldest major-party candidates in US history.
Biden calls Kamala Harris 'Trump'
At a high-stakes evening news conference afterward, Biden incorrectly referred to his vice president, Kamala Harris, as Trump. "I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if she wasn't qualified to be president. So let's start there," Biden said. Nonetheless, Biden responded defiantly to criticisms about his age and leadership ability, saying, "I think I'm the most qualified person to run for president." "I beat him (Trump) once, and I will beat him again," he added.
