In his latest slip-up, Joe Biden mistakenly welcomed world leaders to Washington while speaking in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, September 25. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Welcome to Washington,” said the 81-year-old president at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel, located just a short walk north of the Chrysler Building.
Biden then continued with his speech, seemingly unaware of his error. “Fellow leaders, friends, for 944 days [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has waged his vicious onslaught against Ukraine,” he said at the event, where Western leaders gathered to reaffirm their support for Kyiv.
Despite criticism, Biden rejected calls for his resignation, even from some within his own party. The oldest president in U.S. history, Biden ended his bid for a second term on July 21, following a poor debate performance against 78-year-old Donald Trump, and threw his support behind Kamala Harris. Before dropping out, Biden attempted to downplay concerns about his debate showing, stating in a campaign ad, “I know right from wrong. I know how to tell the truth. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up.”
Calls for Biden’s resignation persisted, even from Democrats. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) remarked in July, “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately.” Days later, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) expressed doubts about Biden’s health and fitness, stating, “I doubt the president’s judgment about his health, his fitness to do the job, and whether he is the one making important decisions about our country, rather than unelected advisers. Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job.”
