President Joe Biden stumbled through yet another gaffe-ridden speech where he spoke about how $40 billion of taxpayer funds was being invested in infrastructure for the Pacific islands.
Attempting to spell out the acronym given to the new initiative, the president botched the delivery and gave up, telling reporters it “doesn’t matter”.
At a White House summit, Biden announced the Pacific Islands Initiative.
“We call it the P… PI… anyway, doesn’t matter what we call it, but that’s what it is”, he told a room full of reporters.
Joe Biden's cognitive ability is under question
POOL
He then joked: “I was going to get back to acronyms and I’m… not doing that”, prompting a smattering of laughs.
Biden, 80, has struggled through speeches in recent months, making a host of gaffes ranging from false claims to walking into flags.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Joe Biden struggled to spell out an acronym
Pool
Voters in America are concerned about the president’s cognitive abilities, with recent polling suggesting the consensus is he is too old to run again.
The president falsely claimed this month he went to ground zero the day after the 9/11 attacks.
Biden had actually visited over a week later, leading to more questions over whether he is mentally capable of carrying out the role.
While the president has passed health checks, a recent AP-NORC survey suggested more than three-in-four Americans claimed Biden is too old to run in 2024.
Earlier this month, the US Libertarian Party filed for conservatorships for Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81.
The Libertarians claimed that America’s “geriatric elites” are unfit for public office and need to have all decision-making powers removed.
A trip to Hanoi earlier in the month appeared to further expose deficiencies, with his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre stepping in to halt his press conference abruptly as he declared “I’m going to bed”.
Biden’s latest gaffe came as the US recognised the Cook Islands and Nieu as “sovereign and independent states” and pledged to open diplomatic relations.
In a statement on Monday, Biden said “the history and the future of the Pacific Islands and the United States are inextricably linked”.
“The United States’ recognition of the Cook Islands, and the establishment of diplomatic relations will not only strengthen the ties between our nations, it will help ensure that our shared future is more secure, more prosperous, and more free — for our people and people around the world.”
