OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
President Joe Biden did not do himself any favors during his latest public appearance in North Carolina on Thursday as questions about his age and mental capacity continue to grow.
“Biden spent Thursday traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina, to tout his economic policies, often referred to as ‘Bidenomics.’ Throughout the trip meant to help the president ahead of the 2024 election, Biden committed several slip-ups and apparent gaffes when talking about his economic achievements, airstrikes in the Middle East and Washington, D.C.’s, annual March for Life,” The Daily Caller reported.
Biden began the day by taking a few questions from reporters
The president kicked off the day by taking a few questions from reporters before his departure, where he had several eyebrow-raising moments.
“Tomorrow is the March for Life in Washington D.C.,” Owen Jensen, EWTN White House correspondent, said.
“I know that,” Biden responded.
“What’s your message to those attending?” Jensen queried.
“March,” Biden replied.
What is your message for those attending the 2024 March for Life?
BIDEN: "March."#WhyWeMarch #ewtnprolife pic.twitter.com/2dxpVKJV4l— EWTN News Nightly (@EWTNNewsNightly) January 18, 2024
At another point, Biden was asked about the U.S.-led airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“Are the airstrikes in Yemen working?” a reporter asked.
“Well, when you say working, do you mean stopping the Houthis? No,” the president answered. “Are they gonna continue? Yes.”
"Are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes."
US President Joe Biden responds after being asked whether airstrikes in Yemen are working.https://t.co/O06qSSNmvz
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/xvOv6lYbg5
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 18, 2024
Biden’s subsequent missteps occurred when the president addressed a crowd in Raleigh. At one point, he seemed to be searching for Democratic North Carolina Rep. Deborah Ross, only to realize that he had mistaken her for someone else.
“Where’s Deborah? I just had my picture taken with her,” Biden says, looking around the crowd.
“Oh, she couldn’t be here, actually. That’s not true. I got it mixed up,” Biden realized.
Biden recognizes Rep. Deborah Ross: "Where's Deborah? I just had my picture taken with her … Oh, she couldn't be here, actually. That's not true. I got it mixed up." pic.twitter.com/mjxfcmoIxk
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 18, 2024
Later in Biden’s speech, during which he announced $82 million in new investments through the American Rescue Plan, the president provided a hypothetical scenario involving students having to rely on McDonald’s Wi-Fi to complete their schoolwork during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“How many of you spent time in McDonald’s parking lots tapping into their internet so you could do the homework with your kid?” Biden asked.
In another instance, Biden seemed to mix up his numbers while discussing his administration’s accomplishments in the state of North Carolina.
“To date, 400 — excuse me, 40,000 infrastructure projects have been announced across this nation,” the president said.
“Since I’ve been to office, we’ve created 14 million new jobs. 440 new jobs in North Carolina only just since I came to office,” Biden continued.
At another point, while attempting to engage the crowd in a quiz about the number of billionaires in the U.S., Biden drifted away from the podium, seemingly forgetting about the microphone he was using to speak.
“You know how many billionaires we have in America today?” Biden said before a crowd member yelled a response back.
“1,000,” Biden said, walking further away from the microphone.
First Lady Jill Biden said earlier this month that her husband’s age isn’t a problem and that it should not prevent Americans from re-electing him later this year — despite his numerous gaffes, constant struggles to deliver a coherent sentence, or polling showing worries among voters that he is too old to hold office.
MSNBC “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski asked Jill on Thursday: “To those who say, ‘I can’t vote for Joe Biden, he’s too old,’ what do you say?”
“I say his age is an asset. He’s wise, he has wisdom, he’s experienced. He knows every leader on the world stage. He’s lived history, he knows history, he’s thoughtful in his decisions. He is the right man, the right person, for the job at this moment in history,” she claimed.
“He can do it. I see Joe every day. I see him out, traveling around this country, I see his vigor, I see his energy, I see his passion every single day,” she added.
Nevertheless, majorities of Americans polled over the past year, at least, have said they think the president is too old to run for a second term.
