U.S. President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "President Putin" during a NATO summit in Washington on Thursday, an error that occurred as more members of his Democratic party urged the 81-year-old to reconsider his bid for re-election.
"And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin," Biden said, eliciting gasps from the audience.
He quickly corrected himself, saying, "Going to beat President Putin, President Zelensky. I am so focused on beating Putin."
The incident comes amid increasing calls from Democrats for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. Zelensky handled the mistake with humor, saying, “I’m better.” Biden responded, “You are a hell of a lot better.”
Biden, who has dealt with stuttering for decades, made the mix-up less than an hour before facing reporters in Washington, D.C., at his first news conference since a faltering debate against former President Donald Trump in late June. The debate and other verbal slip-ups have fueled concerns about Biden's mental sharpness.
Despite these concerns, Biden dismissed questions about his campaign during the news conference, emphasizing his commitment to finishing the work he started in 2021.
"If I slow down and can’t get the job done, that’s a sign I shouldn’t be doing it," he said. "But there’s no indication of that yet."
However, shortly after the news conference, several more Democratic lawmakers publicly called for Biden to step down, joining at least a dozen others who have expressed similar sentiments after the debate.
In his first answer during the news conference, Biden also mistakenly referred to Vice-President Kamala Harris as "Vice-President Trump," further fueling the concerns about his verbal missteps. This happened just an hour after his incorrect introduction of Zelensky.
The news conference was only the first hurdle for the U.S. president. Biden is scheduled for another high-profile interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on Monday. Donors are increasingly anxious, and earlier on Thursday, several reports indicated that some figures within Biden's own campaign are exploring ways to encourage him to step down.