Moment Biden, 81, lashes out at aides after gaffe during final meeting with group of world leaders
Joe Biden was filmed sneering at his aides after an awkward gaffe during a final meeting with a group of world leaders.
The 81-year-old president shouted “Who’s next?” as he introduced a leader of the “Quad” nations of Australia, India and Japan at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday night.
Biden concluded his introductory speech on the Quad’s efforts to defeat cancer, saying, “I want to thank all of you for being here. And now, who am I going to introduce next?”
After an awkward second of silence, Biden demanded the question: “Who’s next?”
Joe Biden went off the rails Saturday night during a meeting of the ‘Quad’ leaders of India, China and Australia after a blunder over who would speak next
This is when the president demanded to know what was going on, followed by seconds of awkward silence
An assistant was then seen gesturing toward the stage, after which a presenter introduced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Biden appeared to relax and joked before putting his arm around Modi.
The outgoing president is known for his age-related gaffes. Saturday night’s mistake, however, appeared to be the result of a logistical error, not Biden’s advanced age.
Saturday’s summit was aimed at advancing Biden’s “cancer moonshot,” which would see the US work with the other three regions in the Quad to defeat the disease.
Also present were Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The Quad was originally formed in 2007 to counter China’s growing power and influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pictured next to Biden, was the man lined up to speak, allowing Biden to joke about the gaffe
Biden invited Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (back left) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (back right) to his Wilmington home for the final Quad meeting of his presidency
The next meeting will be with whoever wins the presidential election in November: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.
Biden announced in July that he would resign after a disastrous June debate against Donald Trump, in which he repeatedly lost track and spouted nonsense on stage.
He is the oldest president in US history and has faced growing concerns about mistakes made on stage.
Biden also struggled with a physical decline, causing him to stumble repeatedly as he climbed the stairs of Air Force One and walk noticeably stiffly.
He was effectively removed from office by leading Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, who warned him he would not beat Donald Trump.
The nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris as the new presidential candidate has breathed new life into the Democrats and the election campaign.
It also appears that Donald Trump has been misled by this, as the 78-year-old leader of the Republican Party can no longer criticize his rival’s lack of vitality.
Polls show the battle remains tight in the run-up to the November 5 elections.