Biden appeared to read teleprompter instruction to ‘make it clear’ during national address
President Biden began his rare address to the nation from the Oval Office by staring aimlessly at the camera and stumbling over his words — and then seemingly reading his teleprompter instructions.
The 80-year-old commander-in-chief looked around, seemingly unaware that he was on live, before he started to speak as he squinted in the glare of the lights.
At one point, Biden appeared to read an autocue instruction to “make it clear” — similar to how last year he read out “repeat the line” in another speech.
“We’ll have something that we do not seek — make it clear we do not seek — we do not seek to have American troops fighting in Russia,” he said.
Biden later fumbled by stating that “you’ll all America” before correcting himself and saying, “You’re all American.”
His apparent reading of his instructions quickly sparked mockery online, with some sharing the clip by writing: “Teleprompter- 1 Biden – Zero.”
“As Biden stumbles using a teleprompter just know this was the best take they could get out of him for an address to the nation. The very BEST take. Thank about that folks…,” tweeted Robby Starbuck, a filmmaker and aspiring politician in Tennessee.
The president addressed the nation shortly after his whirlwind trip to Israel amid the ongoing war between the Jewish state and the terror group, which launched its unprecedented attack on Oct. 7.
He called for Congress to pass billions in new funding for Ukraine, saying “time is of the essence” to prevent even larger wars in Europe and the Middle East.
Biden’s teleprompter snag is not his first while using the device.
Last year, he made a similar gaffe when he made opening remarks before signing an executive order aimed at protecting abortion rights following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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At one point, he quoted from the court’s majority opinion on ending the federally protected right to abortions.
“One of the most extraordinary parts of the decision in my view is the majority writes, and I quote, ‘Women … ’ — it’s a quote now, from the majority — ‘women are not without electoral or political power. It is noteworthy that the percentage of women who registered to vote and cast a ballot is consistently higher than the percentage of the men who do so.’ End of quote,” Biden said.
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He immediately followed by saying “Repeat the line” and quoting the opinion again.
Biden was roasted by social media users who said the words were meant to be an instruction for him, not words to read aloud.
A White House spokesperson said Biden intended to say “Let me repeat the line” in his speech.
One of the people who mocked him was Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who compared the incident to the 2004 movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Rob Burgundy,” in which Will Ferrell’s character made his own flub.
