Unplugged: Biden Suffers Earpiece Fail, Snubs Handshake with Japan, South Korea Leaders
13:45 GMT 19.08.2023 (Updated: 14:11 GMT 19.08.2023)
© AFP 2023 / JIM WATSON
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President Joe Biden may have touted the historic agreements with the leaders of South Korea and Japan at Camp David on Friday, but several mishaps peppered his press conference as the trilateral meeting wrapped up.
It is almost a given that any public speech offered up by Joe Biden comes with a generous dollop of blunders. The US president did not fail to deliver on the latest occasion, as he gave a press conference at Camp David in Maryland.
Flanked by Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Joe Biden hailed the just-signed trilateral pact on joint military exercises and intelligence sharing. However, the 80-year-old POTUS' speech was peppered with gaffes and contentious remarks.
As seen in videos circulating on social media, the Democratic hopeful for reelection in 2024:
Claimed that “America first” policies weakened America.
Misidentified Japan’s prime minister as the "president" of Japan.
Forgot to unplug his earpiece
Strode off without shaking hands with anyone else, leaving Fumio Kishida and Yoon Suk-yeol to clasp hands and grin behind his back.
Screengrab of X post by RNC Research showing footage of US President Joe Biden press conference at Camp David.
© Photo : RNC Research/X
At one point during the presser, when responding to a question whether countries in Asia could rely on America’s nuclear umbrella for "protection," Biden said, in a nod to Donald Trump:
"There’s not much, if anything, I agree on with my predecessor, on foreign policy. His ‘America First’ policy of walking away from the rest of the world has made us weaker, not stronger."
It took literally moments for conservatives to skewer POTUS on social media for the remark. Many comments mocked Biden’s statement that, "putting our own country first makes us 'weaker.'"
Screengrab of X post by Doug Powers featuring footage of Joe Biden press conference at Camp David n August 18, 2023.
© Photo : Doug Powers f/X
Screengrab of X post by Radio host Ari Hoffman showing footage of US President Joe Biden press conference on August 18, 2023.
© Photo : Ari Hoffman/X
Also at the event, Joe Biden appeared confused as to whether the man standing next to him was the prime minister of Japan, or Japanese "President" Fumio Kishida.
Screengrab of X post by RNC Research showing footage of US President Joe Biden press conference at Camp David with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on August 18, 2023.
© Photo : RNC Research/X
After ending his speech, Joe Biden turned and walked off with the earpiece still in his ear, only to realize this after it fell to the podium. Glancing back and taking stock, he smiled, and randomly uttered, “We’re winning all the competitions.” Exiting the stage, he left without shaking hands with either of the other speakers.
Comments on social media were peppered with the word "embarrassment."
X screenshot.
© Photo : Samantha Tango/X
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© Photo : Carole B.Smith/X
