In another blunder, US President Joe Biden once again repeated his false claim that he traveled 17,000 miles with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During a speech at a White House event commemorating Greece's Independence Day on Thursday, the 81-year-old president repeated debunked claims and also appeared to forget his own name, calling it “Obama” instead of “Obama.” O,” referring to the Biden administration.
Mr. Biden told an anecdote about an interaction with Mr. Xi in which the Chinese prime minister asked him to explain the United States.
“I was once asked by Xi Jinping to travel 17,000 miles with him and go out on the Tibetan Plateau. He looked at me and said, 'Can you define America?' “If you were asked to define Greece, I would say the same thing,” the president said.
“I said, 'Yes…one word.' I mean this with all my heart. I said, 'It's on record,' 'possibility,'” he added.
Biden's persistent use of this long-debunked claim earned him the nickname “Bottomless Pinocchio” from the Washington Post.
Earlier, the newspaper cited Biden repeating this claim nearly 21 times as an example of his efforts to build a relationship with Xi Jinping amid rising tensions between China and the United States.
In another awkward moment during the speech, Mr. Biden mispronounced President Obama's name as “Oh” the Biden administration, prompting laughter from the audience.
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Biden rejects special counsel Robert Hur's report
Biden's latest gaffe follows a series of embarrassing gaffes, including his recent rejection of a Justice Department report that called into question his mental health.
Special Counsel Robert Hur's report on Biden's mishandling of classified documents was critical of the president's suitability for office. The files were found in Biden's garage, but the report did not suggest any charges.
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During questioning with investigators, Biden seemed confused about the dates he served as vice president and couldn't even remember the year his son Beau died.
Despite the positive reaction to the State of the Union address, Biden's average approval rating has fallen to the lowest point of his entire tenure.
Based on national average estimates from pollster FiveThirtyEight, Biden's approval rating currently stands at 37.4%, the lowest since December 2023, when it averaged 37.6%.
