White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre read from a prepared list of the times various Republicans misspoke after being asked about the numerous times President Joe Biden referred to dead world leaders.
While at a campaign event on Sunday, Biden appeared to mistakenly confuse French President Emmanuel Macron with former President François Mitterrand, who died from prostate cancer in 1996. At another campaign event on Wednesday, Biden made a similar mistake, saying that he had spoken to the late German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who died in 2017, during a Group of Seven summit in 2021. Jean-Pierre brushed off the repeated mistakes on Thursday when asked about Biden’s fitness for office, saying the gaffes are relatable.
“But also Sean Hannity himself said Jason Chavez when he meant Matt Gaetz. I mean it happens. It really happens. Rick Scott even confuses saving Medicare money with cutting Medicaid — Medicare, pardon me. And so this happens. It happens to all of us and it is common,” Jean-Pierre said, adding that Speaker Mike Johnson has said Iran when referring to Israel.
“But I do want to make sure we don’t forget what the overall arching theme, what he is trying to say about our leadership on the global stage,” the press secretary continued.
KJP just read from a prepared list of instances where Republicans have confused people’s names or mixed up individuals to argue that Joe Biden is fully mentally fit.
She herself tripped over her words while doing this exercise. pic.twitter.com/1tVKyUyca1
— Dylan Housman (@Dylan_Housman) February 8, 2024
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Jean-Pierre about Biden’s Sunday gaffe on Tuesday but the press secretary dismissed the question, saying she did not want to go down “that rabbit hole.”
“How is President Biden ever gonna convince the three-quarters of voters, who are worried about his physical and mental health, that he is okay, even though in Las Vegas he recently told a story about talking to a French president who died in 1996?” Doocy asked.
“I’m not even gonna go down that rabbit hole with you, sir,” Jean-Pierre said before trying to call on a different reporter.
A majority of Americans have expressed concern with the 81-year-old’s age heading into the 2024 election. Seventy-seven percent were concerned about Biden’s age in September and a record-low number of Americans said they thought the president inspires confidence as the country’s leader.
“What do you say then to Americans who have that concern and they see three times in just a couple days, the president getting the name of a leader wrong in referencing someone that is deceased?” a reporter asked Jean-Pierre.
“This is a president that has had a very successful three years when you look at the economy, when you look at climate change, when you look at [COVID-19], all the crises that he had to deal with when he walked into this administration, that was done by someone that has experience, understands the relationship on the other side of Pennsylvania, understands what it means to bring two sides together to get things done, understands where the American people are and what they’re feeling and how to deliver,” Jean-Pierre responded.