Biden Gaffes, Accidentally Promises A ‘Major Press Conference’

Topline

President Joe Biden misspoke when he told reporters on Friday he would hold a “major press conference” later in the afternoon, the White House said while clarifying that he was instead referring to a previously scheduled interview—adding to the long list of Biden gaffes amid concerns about his age.

US President Joe Biden meets his ‘Investing in America Cabinet’ to discuss the Investing in America … [+] agenda in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 5, 2023. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

Biden closed a Friday press briefing on the economy and debt ceiling with a statement that surprised journalists: “We’ve got a lot of work to do and I’m doing a major press conference this afternoon,” he said earlier in the day from the White House’s Roosevelt Room.

The remark raised questions among reporters after the White House called a lid shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday — meaning no further events for the press pool that day — with no word about the “major press conference.”

A White House spokesperson later clarified to CNN that he was actually referring to a pre-scheduled interview.

The spokesperson did not say which interview Biden was referring to, but MSNBC is slated to air a Stephanie Ruhle sit-down with Biden at 10 p.m. ET on the network’s 11th Hour.

The gaffe is among many Biden, who at 80 is the oldest president in U.S. history, has made during his time in the White House and before, raising concerns about his mental acuity as he launches his campaign for a second term.

Tangent

Biden announced his re-election bid last Tuesday via a video advertisement. The campaign comes amid speculation about whether Biden is too old to run for a second term and a flurry of reports that he is waging a low-key campaign, in part to avoid gaffes and also because his energy levels have declined with age, “some White House officials” recently told Axios. The outlet reported last Friday that Biden has held only four public events before 10 a.m., a dozen after 6 p.m. and none on 12 weekends this year.

Big Number

69%. That’s the percentage of Americans who cited Biden’s age in saying they do not believe he should seek a second term, according to a recent NBC News poll. 70% of respondents said they do not want him to run again.

Key Background

Biden has a long history of misstatements that have prompted criticism from his Republican foes and made him the butt of late-night television jokes. Among his more recent blunders: During his visit to Ireland in April, he appeared to confuse New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team with the British recruits to the Irish military in the 1920s known as the Black and Tans. “He was a hell of a rugby player. He beat the hell out of the Black and Tans,” Biden said of his cousin who played on the Irish rugby team that beat New Zealand’s All Blacks in 2016. Days earlier, he made an odd statement to NBC’s Al Roker during the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll, telling the Today meteorologist “I plan on at least three or four more Easter Egg Rolls,” he said when asked about his plans for a second term, which at the time, he had yet to announce. “Maybe five. Maybe six, what the hell? I don’t know,” Biden said, adding “I’ll either be rolling an egg or end up being the guy who’s pushing ’em out.”

Surprising Fact

Biden’s history of gaffes date back to his time as vice president. He called himself the “president of the United States” at a gala in Iowa in 2013, while serving under former President Barack Obama. And while working the campaign trail ahead of Obama’s election, an attempt at a compliment for his running mate came off more like a racist trope: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” he said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

Contra

White House advisers have attributed Biden’s scaled-back media strategy to a de-emphasis on traditional press appearances, claiming they are outdated, the New York Times reported. Biden has repeatedly addressed concerns about his age, telling reporters a day after announcing his re-election campaign: “I took a hard look at it before I decided to run. And I feel good.” He’s also acknowledged his habit of misspeaking, calling himself a “gaffe machine” in 2018 as he weighed a run for the White House.