President Biden called Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) by the name “Doug” four times Thursday during a gaffe-filled visit to the congressman’s district.
“Where’s Doug? Congressman?” the 80-year-old president asked while giving a speech on the economy.
“He’s around here somewhere,” Biden said as he searched the crowd. “Oh, there you are. Doug, thanks for the passport into town. Doug and I have something in common, we both married way above our station.”
Biden is the oldest-ever president, and his mental acuity is frequently a matter of debate as he prepares to launch a 2024 re-election campaign.
The uncomfortable moment recalled the infamous September exchange when Biden asked “Where’s Jackie?” as he searched for the late Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) in a crowd, despite publicly mourning her death and even calling her family to offer his condolences in August.
About five minutes into his remarks Thursday, Biden appeared to recognize his error when he called Beyer “Doug” for a fourth time and seemed to grasp for his actual name.
Watch:
Biden-repeatedly-calls-Dem-Rep-Don-Beyer-by-wrong-name-in-echo-of-Where-s-Jackie-gaffe-NY-Post
“Doug knows, Do —,” Biden said haltingly, before launching into an attack on House Republicans, claiming: “Look, here’s the deal … They want to cut your Social Security and Medicare. Now, this is the God’s truth. It’s almost unbelievable.”
Contrary to Biden’s remark, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said repeatedly this week he doesn’t want to cut the social safety nets.
Beyer, a House member since 2015, is a wealthy car dealership owner who became a popular Democratic designate for proxy votes during the COVID-19 pandemic because his urban northern Virginia district abuts DC.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that Biden would receive his annual physical before Feb. 1. It’s unclear if the exam will feature a cognitive test.
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