Biden Looks Confused Again During Speech, Mixing Up Ukraine, NATO in Latest Gaffe
President Biden made a verbal slip on Saturday, apparently confusing NATO with Ukraine while urging House members to return to Washington, D.C., to vote on a bill providing funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
During remarks in Delaware, Biden emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine and maintaining NATO unity, but appeared to conflate the two issues.
Biden appears to confuse NATO with Ukraine in calling for Congress members to pass funding bill https://t.co/pGCVl3EM2S
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 18, 2024
"The idea that we’re going to walk away from Ukraine, the idea that we’re going to begin to let NATO split is totally against the interests of the United States of America, and it’s against our word we’ve given since all the way back to Eisenhower," Biden told reporters Saturday.
"So it’s about time we make sure Congress come home and pass the legislation funding NATO," he stated.
The Senate recently passed a bipartisan bill allocating $95.3 million in funding for defense purposes to these three allies.
The House of Representatives is currently on a two-week break, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that the House will not rush to pass the bill.
Questions regarding the 81-year-old president's mental acuity arose after Special Counsel Robert Hur's report on Biden's handling of classified documents noted his "poor memory."
While the report stated that Biden would not face charges, it acknowledged concerns about his recollection during trial proceedings.
The Republican National Committee's rapid response account, RNC Research, seized on Biden's gaffe, highlighting it on social media and pointing out the factual error regarding NATO membership.
Biden's tendency for verbal miscues has been evident in recent incidents, including confusion between the presidents of Mexico and Egypt, as well as a mix-up of terminology regarding "red state and blue state."
Former President Trump, a leading Republican contender for 2024, has also faced criticism for verbal slips, such as mistakenly identifying opponent Nikki Haley as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.