Look to the right! Biden fumbles as he presents the trophy to Army Football and asks, “Where are you, coach?” while team boss stands next to him
- Biden made the comment while presenting the commander in chief’s trophy
- Army defeated Navy football in December; coach Jeff Monken stood nearby
President Joe Biden forgot to study his playbook when he presented a football trophy to the Army team on Monday. He asked “Where are you” to the coach standing a few feet away.
“We finally have coach Jeff Monken… back to the White House… Where are you, coach?” the president asked as he introduced notables at an event presenting the commander-in-chief’s trophy.
The coach he welcomed stood to the president’s right after walking into the East Room of the White House with his victorious team.
The strange comment came after Biden, 81, told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of the Army Charles Q. Brown, Jr. acknowledged in remarks reading from a pair of teleprompters.
“Where are you, coach?” President Biden asked as he presented the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the United States Military Academy Army Black Knights. Coach Jeff Monken stood nearby
Biden often uses variations of the line when recognizing lawmakers or VIPs during remarks, but that usually happens when they are in the midst of a crowd or audience he is addressing.
He also recognized Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, corrected his name after first calling him “Stanford.”
It came at an event where he praised the team for ‘toughness, tenacity, camaraderie and responsibility’ both on and off the pitch.
The Army Black Knights won the trophy at their annual Army-Navy Game, defeating the Midshipmen 17-11 in December in the bitter and storied rivalry.
Biden said he was “very proud” of the team, and “not just because of the wins, not just because of those forced substitutions, but also because he put on another uniform — that represented the entire country.”
Biden was presented with an army jersey with “46” written on it
The president returned to the White House from his home in Wilmington on Monday
Biden cheered the team’s wins over Air Force and rival Navy during a 6-6 season. It was the Army’s fourth trophy in the past seven years.
“We are here today to celebrate a strong team and a legendary football program,” the president said.