Joe Biden mocked for embarrassing gaffe during Russia speech

Critics of US President Joe Biden have pounced on an embarrassing blunder he made while discussing Russia’s oligarchs in a speech.

US President Joe Biden has raised concerns after an embarrassing blunder that saw him repeatedly stumble over the word “kleptocracy” during a speech asking the US Congress for an additional $US33 billion Ukraine aid package.

Mr Biden, 79, was talking on Thursday, US time, about his administration’s plans to seize Russian assets when he ran into some linguistic trouble, the NY Post reports.

“We’re going to seize their yachts, their luxury homes, and other ill-begotten gains of Putin’s kleptoc- ... yeah ... kleptocracy and klep- ... the guys who are the kleptocracies,” Mr Biden told reporters with a self-deprecating chuckle.

“But these are bad guys.”

Biden's brain just broke, again. pic.twitter.com/tuZub9v1IX

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 28, 2022

Moments earlier, Mr Biden also mistakenly said that the US will “accommodate” the Russian oligarchs “and make sure we take their — take their ill-begotten gains.”

In the official transcript of Mr Biden’s remarks that was later posted on the White House website, the word “accommodate” was stricken out to indicate that Biden actually meant to say “hold accountable.”

The gaffes sparked a social media avalanche of worried and snarky comments, despite some users pointing out that Mr Biden struggled with a severe stutter in his youth.

But the critical comments from Mr Biden’s detractors still came through thick and fast.

While some rushed to mock the president for his verbal blunder, others pointed out he suffered speech difficulties as a child. Picture: Jim Watson / AFP

“Alarming,” Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton tweeted alongside a clip of the concerning slip-up.

“America deserves better,” executive director of advocacy group America Matters, Jim Hanson, tweeted.

Vernon Jones, who is running for Congress in Georgia, urged First Lady Jill Biden to get involved.

“@DrBiden, this has to end. Stop allowing your husband to be abused. For the love of your family and country, put his health first. Take President Biden home before it’s to [sic] late,” she tweeted, concerned about the leader’s cognitive health.

Sports journalist and commentator Clay Travis struck a similar tone in his reaction: “Joe Biden isn’t well. This is an embarrassment to our country and the world. He can barely read. Everyone can see the look in his eyes here, he’s lost.”

Meanwhile, Republican National Committee Press Secretary Emma Vaughn mockingly wrote: “Bold moves from the White House using ‘kleptocracy’ in a Biden speech,” hinting at the president’s penchant for gaffes in his public remarks.

“Biden’s brain just broke, again,” right-wing news site TownHall.com tweeted.

This article originally appeared on NY Post and was reproduced with permission