The president had a chance to show his �big boy� credentials. But he just
made America look like an international joke

If Joe Biden wanted to design a pair of gaffes to cause his presidency as
much damage as possible, it would be hard to do better than his
performance on Thursday night.

This Nato summit in Washington has already been overshadowed by questions
about the US president�s age and mental capacity, and every world leader
has been asked about it in interviews here.

Two miles away, on Capitol Hill, Democrats have been locked in conclave
all week to discuss what to do about Mr Biden and his health.

All eyes were on this evening, to see if he could bring this summit to a
close without a hitch. He could not.

There was a gasp in the media centre, where hundreds of journalists were
gathered to watch that press conference.

On screens around the room, Mr Biden turned to his left and prepared to
give way to Mr Zelensky.

�And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as
much courage as he has determination,� he said.

Pausing for effect, he concluded: �Ladies and gentlemen � President
Putin.�

Immediately, the atmosphere among the assembled hacks turned from one of
interest, to one of horror.

The feeling in the room was exactly the same as at the presidential debate
on June 27, when Mr Biden froze on stage. People looked at each other as
if to say: �Can this really be happening?�

Sir Keir Starmer, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron were all asked about it
in their own press conferences minutes later, and all dismissed Mr Biden�s
mistake as a harmless slip of the tongue.

But the truth is that the timing of this incident could not have been more
unfortunate.

But an hour and a half later, he did it again. In his own press
conference, Mr Biden was asked about Kamala Harris�s suitability to be
president, in an obvious nod to the idea of her replacing him on the
Democratic ticket.

�I wouldn�t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, if
she�s not qualified to be president,� he said. More gasps, as the penny
dropped that he had mistaken his closest ally for his greatest foe.

Mr Biden struggled as he explained that the Nato press conference was the
most successful in a �long time�, and that other world leaders had
credited him with bringing them together.

His own speech was unusual for a world summit. It focussed on the
differences in his foreign and domestic policies from those put forward by
Trump.

At one point he started talking about US inflation figures - putting
himself in full campaign mode - in an attempt to get on the offensive
after his own mistake. He said Trump was a threat to the Nato alliance.

It does not feel that will be enough.

With unprecedented pressure on his campaign from fellow Democrats, Mr
Biden�s team have been hoping that this week�s summit was a chance to show
his �big boy� credentials.

He was meant to turn up and play his favourite role: the man saving the
world from Russia, and preventing a second term of what he calls Donald
Trump�s �unhinged� agenda.

He did speak at length, with no notes, about foreign policy and America�s
relationship with China, Russia and South Korea.

That performance attracted praise in some quarters, from Democrats who saw
the old Biden shine through.

But with his ridiculous errors on the names of some of his closest allies,
he risked making America look like an international joke, and left Western
leaders scrambling to cover for him.

It is almost certain that tonight�s events will see more Democrats come
forward to declare they cannot support his campaign any longer.

He was insistent he would not stand down, and this campaign will only end
when Mr Biden decides to end it.

But if Mr Biden looked shaky at the start of this week, tonight he looked
finished. The coming days will be dark indeed.

Our coverage of the 2024 US presidential election
With America set to go to the polls on Nov 5, the rest of the world is
waiting to see how things unfold. Find out everything you need to know
about the 2024 US election.

Latest polls
Donald Trump is the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but
how does he fare against Joe Biden? Follow the latest updates with our US
election poll tracker.

Primaries and caucuses
Follow along live as the USA�s two main parties hold nationwide primaries
and caucuses to determine which candidate will receive their presidential
nomination. Find out how Donald Trump grasped the Republican party
apparatus to effectively get the nomination sewn up.

What's going on in Trump's world?
Donald Trump�s White House would focus on immigration, scrapping Obamacare
and urging Americans to �drill, drill, drill�. Here�s what his second term
might look like.

The candidates
Late surprises are not out of the question. Get to know all the remaining
candidates for the 2024 US election.

Trump�s legal battles
Donald Trump might be running away with the Republican nomination, but
mounting legal woes could still affect his presidential chances. Get the
lowdown on the full list of charges facing him.

In your inbox
Stay up to date with the latest twists and turns in the race for the White
House with the From the US Editor newsletter.

On mobile
Receive a daily selection of news, comment and analysis from the Telegraph
on WhatsApp

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2024/07/12/joe-biden-putin-gaffe-
nato-summit-zelensky-president/