Biden refers to Xi Jinping as ‘head of Russia’ in yet another goof-up

United States President Joe Biden, in yet another gaffe, left the audience baffled after he called his Chinese counterpartXi Jinpingthe ‘head of Russia’ before correcting himself.

“He (Obama) wanted me to get to know (then Vice President) Xi Jinping because it was clear he was going to be the head of Russia (corrects himself) uuuh China and we were having problems with Russia at the time and other countries as well. So what he (Obama) said was get to know him (Jinping), he is going to be there," the US president said.

While speaking in the East Room of the White House during the Annual National Governors’ Association, Biden also reiterated his claim of travelling 17,000 miles with Xi Jinping which has previously been debunked by various local news outlets.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"He (Obama) couldn't because he was the President, so I travelled 17,000 miles with him throughout the country, in our country and in China as well. We were in the Tibet plateau and he turned to me and said: Can you define America for me? And I looked at him and suggested that I can in one word: Possibilities,” he added.

Biden strugglesto recall Hamas' name during speech

Recently, in a similar goof-up, Biden seemingly forgot the Palestinian militant group Hamas' name during a press conference triggering severe backlash online.

On being asked about the Israel-Hamas truce negotiations at the presser, Biden was heard saying, “There is some movement, and I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna …, let me choose my words — there’s some movement, there’s been.. a response from the, uh..”

“There’s been a response … from … the opposition, but, um —” the 81-year-old said.

Seemingly confused Biden, after some guidance said, "Yes I am sorry, from Hamas."

Biden confuses French counterpart Emmanuel Macron with France’s former leader Francois Mitterrand

Earlier, during a speech, Biden also confused his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron with France’s former leader Francois Mitterrand who died nearly three decades ago.

While addressing a crowd in Las Vegas ahead of the US state of Nevada’s primary on Feb 6, where he intended to say something that Macron had told him at a G7 meeting in 2020, the 81-year-old not only mixed up his French counterpart’s name but also misstated the name of the country he leads.

“It was in the south of England. And I sat down and I said, ‘America is back,’ and Mitterrand from Germany, I mean from France, looked at me and said – said, ‘you know what – why – how long you back for?’” said Biden according to a White House transcript.

He added, “And I looked at him, and the — and the Chancellor of Germany said, ‘What would you say, Mr President, if you picked up the paper tomorrow in the London Times, and London Times said, ‘A thousand people break through the House of Commons, break down the doors, two Bobbies are killed in order to stop the election of the Prime Minister.’ What would you say?”

“I never thought about it from that perspective,” Biden said. “What would we say if that happened in another democracy around the world?”

(With inputs from agencies)