President Biden lauded the Congressional Black Caucus in a speech but seemed to forget he was addressing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
The mixup in his speech Thursday night was the latest in a string of mental miscues and doddering this week for the 80-year-old commander-in-chief.
Speaking at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 46th Annual Gala, Mr. Biden hailed gala award recipient Sister Norma Pimental, executive director of Catholic Charities of Rio Grande Valley, just before the slip-up.
“I know Sister Norma lives the lessons nuns taught me growing up. Lessons based on the Gospel of Matthew: Feed the hungry, care for the sick, welcome strangers,” Mr. Biden said. “They echo what my dad taught me, and I mean this sincerely, my dad used to say, ‘Everyone, everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.’”
“The Congressional Black Caucus embodies all those values,” he told the crowd.
The blunder capped a week of bizarre behavior by Mr. Biden, who is the oldest president in U.S. history.
SEE ALSO: Biden repeats same story minutes apart as age concerns mount
Mr. Biden at a fund-raising reception Wednesday repeated the same story twice, nearly word for word, just moments apart while discussing his decision to run for president.
During an appearance at the U.N. General Assembly earlier in the day, Mr. Biden stumbled into the Brazilian flag, nearly knocking it over. He also wandered offstage without shaking the hand of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who appeared visibly irritated by the snub.
Mr. Biden also fumbled with his headset, which he was using to hear a translated speech during Mr. Lula’s remarks in Portuguese.
Also Wednesday, he appeared to bless himself, making the sign of the cross during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The awkward encounter underscores voters’ concerns about his age, which is increasingly turning up in polls as a top worry among Americans.
An Associated Press/NORC poll found that 77% of Americans, including 69% of Democrats, say Mr. Biden is too old for another term. When the respondents were asked what word came to mind when they thought of Mr. Biden, 15% used words like “slow” or “confused.”
SEE ALSO: Biden stumbles into flag, appears to irritate Brazilian leader with handshake snub
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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