- Rebels overthrew the Assad regime in Syria this weekend
- Imprisoned American freelance journalist Austin Tice is believed to still be alive in Syria
President Joe Biden responded completely blankly when he forgot who he was talking about on the spot.
Just seconds after saying that American journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria on August 13, 2012, is believed to be alive, Biden lost track of who he was talking about.
The “senior moment” came at the end of a short speech on Sunday in which the president praised the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.
Biden left the room when he hesitated and turned when he heard the question: “What does the US know about where Austin Tice might be, and whether he is safe?”
“We believe he is alive,” Biden said. “We think we can get him back, but we don’t have any direct evidence of that yet.”
“And Assad must be held accountable,” he emphasized.
Immediately afterwards, another reporter asked, “Have you ordered an operation to get him, Mr. President?”
‘Who’ll get?’ replied a very confused Biden, even though it was clearly a follow-up to Tice.
President Joe Biden suffered a severe brain freeze on Sunday when he forgot who he was talking about, just moments after answering a reporter’s question about kidnapped Marine Corps veteran and freelance journalist Austin Tice
“Austin Tice,” they reminded the president.
Biden looked lost and stumbled over his words.
‘We want him out. We need to identify where he is,” he assured before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Biden, 82, has just over 40 days left in his one-term presidency until President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated for his second, non-consecutive term.
For most of Biden’s time in office, speculation has swirled that he is unfit to serve as president, with critics claiming that his mental fitness has declined with age.
That decline was on full display during Biden’s less than nine-minute remarks after rebels toppled the Assad regime, prompting the leader to flee to Russia and widespread celebrations for Israel and its supporters.
Tice is a Marine Corps veteran who was working as a freelance journalist in Syria when he was kidnapped more than a dozen years ago.
He was working as a freelancer for McClatchy, The Washington Post, CBS and other media when he was kidnapped from Darayya, Syria.
Biden delivered remarks at the White House on Sunday, December 8, after Syrian rebels announced they had deposed leader Bashar al-Assad and overthrown his regime.
Austin Tice was kidnapped in Syria in 2012. Just a month after he disappeared in Darayya, Syria, a video was released showing Tice blindfolded and tied up.
In September 2012, a month after he disappeared, his captors released a 47-second video showing Tice blindfolded and tied up.
Another month later, a US spokesperson said it was believed Tice had been taken into custody by the Syrian government, although no group or entity in the Middle East said he was being held.
As recently as May 3, 2024, World Press Freedom Day, Biden stated that Tice remained a hostage in Syria.