During a Wednesday evening appearance on CNN's "Primetime," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed President Biden's recent verbal stumbles where he mistakenly referred to the war in Ukraine as the war in Iraq, not once, but twice this week. Host Kaitlan Collins pointed out these instances, including one as Biden departed the White House, and questioned Buttigieg about voter concerns regarding the president's age and these apparent slip-ups.
Buttigieg defended the President, emphasizing Biden's sharp focus on both broad vision and specific details, suggesting viewers could better appreciate this by witnessing Biden in action firsthand. He highlighted the administration's effectiveness and asserted that job performance should be the ultimate measure of any leader, a point he says he championed during his own presidential campaign.
Buttigieg further underscored the administration's accomplishments, citing bipartisan infrastructure initiatives and job growth as key achievements. He concluded by stating that the Biden administration's two-and-a-half-year record surpasses the achievements of many presidencies over longer terms.
The President's comments, which sparked considerable online discussion and media attention, were seemingly downplayed or overlooked by some mainstream outlets. USA Today, for example, initially omitted the "Iraq" reference altogether in their reporting, focusing instead on Biden's assertion that Putin is losing the war and has become isolated internationally. Following criticism and a Twitter Community Note, USA Today defended their editorial choice, claiming it adhered to their guidelines. Similarly, a Bloomberg reporter initially truncated Biden's quote before later acknowledging the error and noting that it was the second time Biden had confused Ukraine and Iraq that week.
