US President Joe Biden quits election race: His timeline of gaffes

With US President Joe Biden to stepping aside, we take a look back at all the times the 81-year-old has put his foot in it.

At a campaign event in 2008, when he was Barack Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden exhorted a paraplegic man in a wheelchair to “stand up” so the crowd could see him.

The then 65 year old realised his howler straight away, and apologised for it, but talk about awkward.

As Vice President, Joe Biden’s occasional mistakes were often documented with an air of fondness by the media, laughed off like the foibles of a funny uncle.

There was almost a sense of tradition to it, as if the office of the VP was the natural home for comic relief.

The Biden Trump debate was the beginning of the end for the president. Picture: Supplied

This was thanks in no small part to George HW Bush’s Vice President Dan Quayle, the man who infamously misspelt the word ‘potato’ on a blackboard during a high school visit. Quayle’s gaffes were the gift that kept on giving for America’s late show comedians for many years.

But Biden set new benchmarks.

In 2019, after he won the Democratic nomination for the Presidency, Biden cheerfully admitted “I’m a gaffe machine”.

But now he’s 81, and nobody’s finding the gaffes cute any more.

Here are the recent missteps that have raised concern.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

Biden appears to forget Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s name during a joint press conference to announce the AUKUS partnership.

With the event taking place in three countries, Biden says “Thank you Boris,” referring to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, before adding, “and I want to thank that fellow Down Under”, gesturing towards Morrison,

“Thank you very much, pal! Appreciate it, Mr Prime Minister,” he said.

Joe Biden and “that fellow Down Under”. Picture: Adam Taylor

MARCH 2, 2022

During the State of the Union speech, Biden refers to Vladimir Putin circling Kyiv, but says he will “never gain the hearts and souls of the Iranian people”. He should have said “Ukrainian people”.

OCTOBER 29, 2022

Giving a speech in Pennsylvania, the President claims he has travelled to “54 states”. America has 50.

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

Speaking at the ASEAN summit, Biden thanks “the Prime Minister of Colombia”. He meant to say “Cambodia”.

JUNE 1, 2023

Biden trips on stage during a US Air Force cadet graduation ceremony. Although he was not hurt it revived questions about his age and frailty.

FEBRUARY 2024

In one week, Biden confuses former European leaders for their more recent counterparts. At a fundraiser in New York City, Biden namechecks former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in an anecdote when he should have referred to Angela Merkel, and at an event in Las Vegas he confuses French president Emmanuel Macron with his predecessor, Francois Mitterand.

FEBRUARY 2024

In a report on Biden’s unauthorised possession of top secret US government documents, special counsel Robert Hur describes the President as “an elderly man with a poor memory”. In a subsequent press conference Biden defends his memory but manages to describe Abdel Fattah El-Sisi – the president of Egypt – as the president of Mexico.

JUNE 14, 2024

Posing for a photo with other leaders at the G7 meeting, video appears to show Biden wandering off from the group, raising concerns that he was confused or disoriented. Subsequently released footage shows Biden was moving to react to a number of paratroopers behind the leadership group.

Joe Biden froze on before he was helped off stage by Barack Obama. Picture: AFP

JUNE 17, 2024

Biden freezes on stage at the end of a fundraising event in Los Angeles. Taking in the applause alongside Barack Obama, Biden stands still until the former president leads him off stage.

JUNE 28, 2024

Bidengives a dire performance during the presidential debatewith Donald Trump, struggling with a hoarse voice and repeatedly stumbling over his answers. During one of his worst moments, Biden’s train of thought wanders from taxation to Covid and Medicaid, before eventually trailing off altogether.

In the days after the debate, the White House suggests his poor performance was caused by a combination of a cold and jet lag. And during a campaign fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, Biden tells listeners “I didn’t listen to my staff … and then I almost fell asleep onstage”.

JULY 6, 2024

During an interview with a Philadelphia radio station, Biden stumbles in a reply, referring to himself as “the first black woman” to serve as vice-president “with a black president”. His intention was presumably to refer to current Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama.

JULY 11, 2024

At a NATO summit in Washington DC, Biden introduces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin,” before immediately correcting himself.

Joe Biden and Ukraine’s ”President Putin”. Picture: AFP

JULY 12, 2024

In his first press conference in eight months, at the end of the NATO summit, Biden refers to Vice President Kamala Harris to “Vice President Trump”. Journalists in the room are heard to audibly gasp.

JULY 17, 2024

As it’s announced that Biden has Covid-19, he is reportedly “Being receptive” to discussions about dropping out of the race in favour of Kamala Harris.