Outgoing US president Joe Biden, experienced another gaffe during a public event, when he fumbled through a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” forgetting both the song lyrics and the young man’s name after inviting him on stage to celebrate.
The 82-year-old president’s performance, witnessed by a crowd, showed a noticeable pause during the song when he couldn’t recall the person’s name, though the recipient handled the situation graciously, smiling as Biden’s voice faded before completing the tune.
The young man took the gaffe in stride, laughing it off as Biden faltered mid-song before resuming to complete it.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to…,” was his incomplete rendition into the microphone.
The incident quickly spread across social media, with critics expressing their disapproval and some anticipating Donald Trump’s return to office.
Social media users commented on the President’s apparent confusion, with one noting his inability to remember the birthday recipient’s name, whilst another criticised the entire administration’s competence.
According to the Daily Mail, concerns about Biden’s wellbeing have intensified following numerous incidents throughout his presidency, after a Wall Street Journal article from December 19 detailed how staff managed a “diminished” president, by providing repeated instructions for basic tasks, restructuring his schedule to accommodate “bad days,” and limiting his direct interactions with Cabinet members.
The article revealed that aides often had to guide him on simple actions, such as where to exit a stage, delegate presidential duties to other officials, and cancel meetings when his condition demanded it.
Biden’s presidency was marked by several high-profile gaffes, including a moment of confusion during a visit to a storm-hit region when asked about the needs of states affected by Hurricane Helene.
When questioned by a reporter about the storm zone, Biden responded, “Oh, storm zone? I don’t know which storm you’re talking about, they are getting what they need, and they are very happy across the board.”
His public appearances included notable errors, such as mistakenly referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin,” causing gasps from those in attendance.
“And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said. He quickly corrected himself, saying, “Going to beat President Putin, President Zelenskyy. I am so focused on beating Putin.”
