A confused-looking President Biden fumbled and snapped at staffers after forgetting which world leader he was supposed to introduce at a press conference event for a during the Quad summit Saturday.
Biden, 81, was supposed to call India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the stage, but appeared to be unsure which of the three visiting heads of government he was meant to name.
“Thank you all for being here and now, uhh, who am I introducing next? Who’s next?” Biden shouted after wrapping up his remarks.
An announcer then revealed that Modi — the head of the world’s largest democracy — was up next and the prime minister came up and shook hands with Biden soon thereafter.
The outgoing president has been hosting allies of the four-nation Quad alliance at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, for a short, two-day summit as foreign leaders travel to the US for the United Nation’s General Assembly meeting.
The Quad — established to help counter the influence of China — includes the US, Japan, India and Australia.
“By the way, he’s from a small country like ours. A small population like ours,” Biden then joked while embracing Modi, 74. “He’s become a good and decent man. A good friend.”
India has the largest population in the world with about 1.4 billion people, while the US is the third-most populous with 333 million.
Biden had unveiled a global extension of his Cancer Moonshot initiative earlier in his remarks and recounted the death of his late son, Beau who died of brain cancer in 2015.
The new initiative entails a partnership between the four countries and seeks to reduce cancer deaths.
“I’m proud to announce that our four countries, the leaders behind me, and many organizations here today are committing over $150 million for HPV, HPV screening and therapeutics,” Biden said.
“Next year, doctors and nurses in the US Navy will begin a program to train Indo-Pacific counterparts in conducting cervical cancer screening and vaccination so we could reach every woman in the region and it matters folks.”
Throughout his presidency, Biden has been dogged by similar faux pas and episodes of forgetfulness or confusion during high-profile outings.
Last year, for example, Biden bumped into a giant flag at the United Nations and seemingly snubbed Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by exiting the stage without shaking his hand.
At 81, Biden is the oldest president in US history, though former President Donald Trump could top that if he wins the Nov. 5 election and serves out a full second term.
Amid consternation about his mental acuity, Democrats revolted against Biden and pressured him to drop his reelection bid for the White House, rendering him a lame-duck president.
During the president’s Cabinet meeting Friday, first lady Jill Biden raised eyebrows by doing most of the talking and later hosting a Rose Garden event without him.
The weekend gathering is poised to be Biden’s final summit with the Quad Alliance leadership before he departs the White House. Biden had sought to add “personal touches” to the two-day summit and further cement his relationship with the key allies.
“Our countries are more strategically aligned than ever before,” Biden had said during the summit, “While challenges will come, the world will change, because the Quad is here to stay.”
Later this week, he is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for the latter’s fifth public trip to the US since Russia invaded in February 2022.
Zelensky is expected to discuss a “Plan for Victory” with Biden and eventually visit with Vice President Kamala Harris as well as former President Trump as part of his trip, which includes a speech before the UN General Assembly’s 79th session in midtown Manhattan.
On Tuesday, Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks before the UN and confer with other world leaders throughout the week.
Days after the Nov. 5 presidential election, Biden is expected to attend his last Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering, which is set to take place in Peru, and his last G20 summit, slated for Brazil.
