President Joe Biden recently gave a speech in Las Vegas where he inadvertently confused current French President Emmanuel Macron with former French President Francois Mitterrand, who passed away in 1996. This mix-up led to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre facing tough questions during a press briefing.
When discussing the meeting with NATO heads about the January 6 protest and riot, Biden said, “It was in the south of England. And I sat down and I said, ‘America is back,’ and Mitterrand from Germany, I mean from France, looked at me and said, ‘you know what — why — how long you back for?’” He continued, “And I looked at him, and the — and the chancellor of Germany said, ‘What would you say Mr. President, if you picked up the paper tomorrow in the London Times and the London Times said, ‘A thousand people break through the House of Commons, break down the doors, two Bobbies are killed in order to stop the election of a prime minister. What would you say?’”
During a press conference on February 8, Karine Jean Pierre struggled to explain the President’s gaffe. When asked about Biden referring to deceased European leaders in conversations, she attempted to divert the attention back to the January 6 events, emphasizing their impact on global leaders and the importance of democracy. She mentioned how Biden had repeatedly said “America is back” during his trip to the G7 and highlighted the significance of the United States’ leadership in the world. However, she failed to directly address the question about why the President made the mix-up and how his mental capabilities were affected.
Jean Pierre also mentioned the unprecedented moment of the January 6th Capitol attack when a mob of 2,000 people tried to overturn the election, emphasizing the need to fight for democracy. Finally, she attempted to minimize the mix-up, stating that elected officials sometimes misspeak.
While Jean Pierre’s response did not directly address the President’s mix-up or the underlying concern about his mental faculties, she emphasized the importance of the January 6 events and the fight for democracy. It is worth noting that many elected officials may occasionally stumble in their speech.
