ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Politics
“JOHN MY OLD FRIEND”
President Joe Biden has added another memorable gaffe to his repertoire, this time involving former NZ Prime Minister John Key.
During a high-stakes NATO summit on Thursday, Biden mistook the freshly minted New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for John Key, who hasn’t been PM since 2016.
“It was a pleasure to finally meet John again,” he murmured before seeing if there was any ice cream available.
The mix-up occurred just hours after Biden’s earlier faux pas, where he mistakenly introduced Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as his Russian adversary, Vladimir Putin. This latest slip has left many wondering if Biden’s memory might be stuck in a time warp, recalling leaders and events from yesteryears.
In September last year Biden was caught on camera, calling for Jackie Walorski, a congresswoman who had notably passed away only a month earlier in a car accident.
As President Biden shook hands with the bemused Luxon, he greeted him with warmth and familiarity. “John, my old friend!” he exclaimed, “It’s wonderful to see you again. How’s those Hobbit movies coming along down there?”
Luxon, ever the diplomat, smiled and gently corrected the President. “Actually, Mr. President, I’m Christopher Luxon.”
Biden, undeterred, continued, “Ah, yes, yes! Christopher Key, right? I remember you well. You’re good friends with Jackie. We had such great times back in the day, didn’t we? I loved visiting Wellington. Say, it’s great to see that the All Blacks are still World champions.”
More to come.
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