Howler after howler: Biden introduces Zelensky as ‘President Putin’; misidentifies VP Kamala Harris as Trump

Scrutiny around Joe Biden's cognitive decline increased furtheras the US president mistakenly referred to his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelensky as "President Putin" before correcting himself at the NATO Summit in Washington on Thursday (Jul 11).

Biden was about to hand over the mic to Zelensky when he made the gaffe, surrounded by NATO leaders,but quickly corrected himself in the following sentence.

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"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.

“Going to beat President Putin, President Zelensky. I am so focused on beating Putin,” he saidas a number of European leaders clapped hesitantly, includingGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Meanwhile, Zelensky responded to Biden’s comments by stating:“I am better (than Putin).”

Another howler by Biden

Later duringhis highly-anticipated solo press conference in Washington, Biden made another gaffe by mistakenly referring toVice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump”.

“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president [if] I think she’s not qualified to be president,” Biden said, confusing his trusted ally with former President Donald Trump.

Later in the same presser, Biden was quizzed about the mix-up and that his cognitive decline had become more noticeable - damaging America's standing in the world.

To which Biden laughed off the question initially before responding: "Do you see any damage we’re seeing in my Leaders Conference? Have you seen a more successful conference? What do you think? And the most important piece I was talking about Putin?” But he also referred to his military commanders as his “commander in chief.”

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Questions have been raised on Biden's mental and physical capability to stay at the job for a long time. However, it all unravelled for the Democratwhen he rambled, mumbled, stuttered and appeared to zone out during several segments of the presidential debate last month.

There have been rumours that Biden has Parkinson's diseaseand that doctors had been secretly treating him for the same at the White House.

"I’ve taken three significant and intense neurological exams by a neurosurgeon. And they say I’m in good shape. Do they? Can they give a press conference?" said Biden, addressing the rumours.

A recent poll conducted by ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos revealed that two-thirds of Americans want Biden to step aside as the Democrat nominee for the presidential post.

As many as 67 per cent of the respondents want the incumbent presidentto drop from the race, while 85 per cent believe that the Democratleader is too old for a second term.

(With inputs from agencies)