Biden again twisted his words to describe himself as “the first Black woman working with a Black president,” his latest gaffe as he struggles to reassure voters that he remains fit to lead.
The 81-year-old president spoke at a news conference in Philadelphia on Thursday. WURD Black Radio Station As part of a Fourth of July media barrage, one week after the debate debacle.
Biden appeared to stumble as he described Kamala Harris, who served as vice president under former President Barack Obama and then selected her as his running mate.
“By the way, as I said, I’m proud to be the first vice president, the first Black woman, to serve with a Black president,” he told host Andrea Lawful Sanders.
Elsewhere in the interview, Biden bragged about appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and about choosing the first Black woman as vice president.
But the stumble was just one of many gaffes and missteps Biden made during the interview, which was aimed at reassuring voters that his debate gaffes were just a one-night glitch.
At one point, he made the bizarre claim that “when I was a kid, I was the first statewide elected president in Delaware.”
He also claimed to understand the struggle for black representation, because before John F. Kennedy was elected president more than 60 years ago, he didn’t think a Catholic could become president.
Biden made the remarks after telling the host that he knows what Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court means to “a young girl who goes to school and has problems.”
“I looked at John Kennedy and I thought, ‘Oh my God, he — John — got elected, why can’t I get elected?'” Biden said. “People need something to look up to.”
The gaffes come amid growing concerns about the president’s age, particularly after his disastrous debate defeat last week against former President Donald Trump.
Still, Amar Moosa, a spokesman for Biden’s reelection campaign, was quick to slam the media for highlighting the president’s recent missteps.
“This is ridiculous,” Musa said. Tweeted.
“It was crystal clear what the president was trying to say. This would be considered completely normal speech for the rest of America, and certainly normal for Joe Biden throughout his career. What are we doing?”
