President Joe Biden once again found himself in the spotlight for a public blunder, this time during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House Rose Garden. The 81-year-old president, known for his frequent gaffes, told voters in Arizona to “elect me, I am in the 20th century” when asked about the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion.
The reporter’s question was in reference to a law dating back to 1864 that bans abortion from the moment of conception, which the court recently upheld. Biden’s response, while unintentional, drew laughter from the audience as he quickly corrected himself, saying, “21st century, not back then. They weren’t even a state.”
This latest blunder adds to a growing list of public mishaps by the president, including struggling to get his own name right during a recent speech and referring to former President Barack Obama as “O’Biden”. Despite his self-proclaimed title as a “gaffe machine”, concerns about Biden’s age and competency continue to plague his re-election campaign.
A recent opinion poll revealed that only 38 per cent of likely 2024 voters believe Biden will be alive at the end of another four-year term, further fueling speculation about his ability to lead the country. These concerns have also boosted former President Donald Trump’s chances of returning to the White House, with RealClearPolitics giving him an average lead of around 2.5 per cent.
As the 2024 election looms closer, Biden’s public blunders and questions about his age remain a focal point for voters and political analysts alike.
