Joe Biden mixed up Taylor Swift and Britney Spears when he went off script while pardoning two turkeys at the White House.
The president, who celebrates his 81st birthday today, also joked about his age, saying he was actually just turning 60.
He took on the traditional presidential duty of pardoning turkeys for Thanksgiving, this year sparing a pair named Liberty and Bell.
Biden said the birds overcame a lot of competition to be with him on the White House lawn.
He continued, “You could say even harder than getting a ticket for the Renaissance tour… or, or, or… Britney’s tour… she’s in… it’s a little hot right now in Brazil.’
“That’s a big bird man!” – Joe Biden pardons a turkey in the White House
Taylor Swift performs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during night two of ‘Taylor Swift The Eras Tour’ on Sunday, November 19, 2023
The Renaissance tour was Beyoncé’s world tour that ended last month.
Britney Spears has not toured for several years and is currently not in Brazil.
The president appeared to refer to Taylor Swift, who is currently performing a series of shows on her ‘Eras Tour’ in Brazil amid extreme temperatures.
On Friday, a 23-year-old Swift fan died during a concert in Rio, prompting the superstar to postpone her Saturday night show.
Biden’s blunder was the latest to highlight his age, with polls showing him losing ground to Republican front-runner Donald Trump among 35-year-olds.
Polls show that three-quarters of Americans believe Biden is too old to be effective for another four years.
Biden joked about his age, saying he was actually only 60
The president’s grandson, Beau, played with the turkeys
By the grace of the turkey, Biden made fun of his age.
He said, “By the way, it’s my birthday today…I just want you to know that turning 60 is hard.”
The president added: “This is the 76th anniversary of this event. I just want you to know that I wasn’t there…
When presented with one of the turkeys for pardon, he said, “That’s a big bird man. I’m impressed. I hereby forgive myself, Liberty and Bell. Congratulations birds.’
Biden said he wanted to “get serious about deciding why we’re having Thanksgiving in the first place.”
He said it was “to remind ourselves, and sometimes we forget this, that as a nation we have so much to be grateful for.”
“Let’s remind ourselves that we are blessed to live in the greatest country in the world.”
The president also paid tribute to former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who died this weekend.
National Thanksgiving turkeys Liberty and Bell await pardons
This year’s turkey pardon event took place on the South Lawn of the White House instead of in the Rose Garden.
It marks the unofficial start of the holiday season in Washington.
Steve Lykken, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, said: “We think this is a great way to start the holidays and a really nice honor.”
The turkeys were transported by road in a black Cadillac Escalade from their Jennie-O home in Minnesota.
On Sunday evening, they were taken to the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel near the White House, and given a suite with the floor covered in plastic sheeting.
They checked into a suite there on Saturday after arriving on the red carpet in the US capital after a days-long road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade.
Before their big day, music was played – including songs by Taylor Swift – to prepare them for the White House crowd.
Lykken said, “They listened to all kinds of music to prepare for the crowds and people along the way.
“I can confirm that they are indeed Swifties, and that they do love Prince.”