As of: February 6, 2024, 6:57 p.m
By: Sonja Ruf
Comments
Press
Split
Combative despite the linguistic mishap: US President Joe Biden during his campaign speech in Las Vegas last Sunday.
© Imago/Zuma Wire
Joe Biden makes a big mistake in a campaign speech: he confuses French President Macron with François Mitterrand - but he is long dead.
Las Vegas – The incumbent US President Joe Biden had a particularly unpleasant linguistic mishap in a campaign speech last Sunday (February 4th).
In an anecdotal story incorporated into his speech, he referred to the French president by the name “Mitterand” – although he clearly could only have meant “Macron”.
In this context, Biden is confusing the incumbent president with his deceased predecessor, François Mitterrand, who was French president from 1981 to 1995.
All last names begin with the letter 'M': This can probably confuse even a US president
Joe Biden obviously wanted to tell an anecdote that involved both French President Macron and German Chancellor Merkel.
The initial situation: A meeting of the G7 group, which the US President took part in 2020.
On that one, Biden is said to have said “America is back,” whereupon he was asked by “Mitterand from Germany” – he quickly followed up with “from France” – “You know what – since when exactly has America been back?”
At this point, the former German chancellor probably asked the French president a question before Biden reached the end of his anecdote and continued with criticism of his arch-rival Donald Trump and his inhumane statements towards migrants.
The 81-year-old left the wrong last name uncorrected at this point, whereupon the White House later published a corrected version of Biden's campaign speech.
Joe Biden has been active in the US political world for over 50 years
Critics often link events like this to the age of the US president.
If he wins the 2024 election, he would be 87 years old at the end of his second term.
At this point, he could probably also be credited with the fact that the incumbent US President has been politically active in the United States for over 50 years.
The name Mitterand (14 years in office) might even be a little more familiar to him than to some of his younger political colleagues.
A few weeks ago, Trump also confused two well-known female Republicans
Nevertheless, Biden's political rival Trump is not immune to linguistic errors like these.
This was shown by an incident last month in which the 77-year-old confused his internal Republican challenger Nikki Haley with the former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
My news
Putin mocks Germany and its auto industry: “We should help them” read
Without Americans: Germany is working on Ukraine's liberation strike
Heavy fighting against Wagner mercenaries in Africa: Video shows interrogation by Ukrainian special forcesread
1 hour ago
The FDP plays through the coalition break: two trains race towards each other at the traffic lights
Russia suspects a plan behind NATO maneuvers: diplomat attacks Germany
47 mins ago
No immunity for Trump: “Unpresidential” – Strong criticism of the ex-president
Biden wrote a post on the social
network