Joe Biden's Gaffe Moments After Defending Mental Fitness Mocked

President Joe Biden has been mocked by conservatives after appearing to confuse two politicians on the same day he defended his memory.

On Thursday, the Democrat defended his memory after the Department of Justice released a report about classified documents found at Biden's home in Delaware and his Penn Biden Center office in Washington. It declined to prosecute him for mishandling classified documents, but raised questions about his mental fitness and called him "a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

"I know what the hell I'm doing," Biden said at a televised news conference.

However, at the same conference, Biden mixed-up two politicians, resulting in mockery on X, formerly Twitter.

Joe Biden
President Joe Biden delivers remarks in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House on February 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. In a speech, the president referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as the... Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Newsweek contacted a representative for Biden by email to comment on this story.

"As you know, initially, the president of Mexico, al-Sisi did not want to open up the gate to allow humanitarian material to get in," Biden said, referring Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Donald Trump Jr. wrote: "Biden not making the best case for himself that he's not too old by referring to Egypt as Mexico, saying that Mexico had a gate next to Gaza. Who on earth thought it was a good idea to roll Joe Biden out past bedtime? Unless, of course the Democrats are throwing him under the bus."

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk called the incident "brutal."

Commentator Clay Travis called the press conference a "disaster presser" and said "he's lost it."

Meanwhile in the same speech, Biden appeared to forget where his son Beau Biden, who died in 2015 of brain cancer, got his rosary.

Biden's age has been a talking point ahead of the 2024 presidential election. At 81, the Democrat is the oldest person ever to be president, and his tenure has long been marred by claims he lacks the mental fitness for the position. Detractors have pointed to his verbal gaffes and physical mishaps, such as stumbling on the steps of Air Force One, as evidence for his incapability.

On Monday, Biden appeared to confuse the current French president, Emmanuel Macron, with the country's former leader Francois Mitterrand, who died in 1996.

However, supporters have claimed Biden is in strong mental and physical shape for his age, and attributed his gaffes and other speech issues to a life-long struggle with speaking problems. Biden's Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, has also been criticized for making a number of gaffes on the campaign trail.

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About the writer


Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more

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