President Joe Biden experienced a notable mishap during a trade union conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The 81-year-old President was delivering a campaign speech, focused and following his script via a teleprompter when he accidentally read aloud the stage direction “pause” to the audience.
During his speech, Biden articulated his vision for America, emphasizing the protection of democracy and freedoms, and outlining his economic plans that aim for equity and support for families through initiatives like childcare and paid leave. However, the flow of his heartfelt message momentarily faltered when he inadvertently said, “Imagine what we could do next. Four more years, pause” per Fox News.
This slip led to a mix of awkward applause and laughter, including a chuckle from Biden himself, while attendees from North America’s Building Trades Unions rallied with chants of “Four more years.” The President also took the opportunity to criticize his political rival and 2024 presidential contender, Donald Trump, mocking Trump’s lack of experience in manual labor and quipping about a pair of boots Trump allegedly gifted him.
He humorously remarked on his familiarity with wearing such boots and his past habit of mowing the lawn, though he noted that his security detail no longer permits this. It remained ambiguous whether Trump had actually gifted him boots or if this was another misstep in his speech.
As Biden sharpens his rhetoric against Trump in the lead-up to the 2024 election, he has been vocal in highlighting contrasts between their policies, particularly criticizing Trump’s stance as pro-wealthy and anti-union. These targeted attacks mark a shift from Biden’s earlier approach during his presidency, where he largely refrained from direct confrontations with the Republican leader.
However, Biden’s recent speeches have not been without their challenges. At a Florida campaign rally, he intended to criticize Trump’s position on abortion but accidentally flipped the script on himself, declaring, “I don’t know why we’re surprised by Trump. How many times does he have to prove we can’t be trusted,” mistakenly using “we” instead of “he.” The audience responded with laughter to the slip, though Biden continued unaware of his error, per AP.
Amidst his campaign, there has been growing public scrutiny over Biden’s cognitive capabilities. Concerns about his age and memory were further fueled by a report from Special Counsel Robert Hur, which described Biden’s memory as “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor,” and having “significant limitations.” Despite these descriptions, Biden has confidently dismissed concerns about his memory.
The White House also responded, critiquing the report’s language as overly prejudicial and inappropriate for describing what they consider a common issue of recalling distant events. As Biden continues his campaign, these moments of verbal missteps and the ongoing debate over his cognitive health are likely to be focal points among voters as they consider their choices for the 2024 presidential election.
