US President Joe Biden made another staggering bloomer on Wednesday, mistakenly welcoming world leaders to Washington while speaking at an event in Midtown Manhattan.
The slip took place at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel, just blocks from the Chrysler Building, during a gathering of western leaders supporting Ukraine.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.Welcome to Washington,” Biden said, seemingly unaware of the error as he continued his remarks without pause.
The event, which coincided with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), saw Biden addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine.
He referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine, saying, “For 944 days, Putin has waged his vicious onslaught against Ukraine.”
This gaffe follows Biden’s decision to end his campaign for a second term after a series of missteps raised concerns about his mental accuracy.
In an another blunder at annual Nato summit in July, Biden had addressed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as “President Putin”.
The US president faced criticism after a confused performance during a June debate with former President Donald Trump. Biden had stunned observers by claiming he “finally beat Medicare” and later mistakenly addressed Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.”
Calls for Biden’s resignation have grown since he dropped out of the race. House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted, “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately.” Some Democrats, including Rep Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, have expressed similar doubts, saying, “Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job.”
Biden’s term is set to end on January 20.