President Joe Biden bumbled through another press conference and even forgot the name Hamas when asked a question about hostage negotiations between the terror group and Israel.
‘There is some movement, and I don’t want to, I don’t want to, let me choose my words – there is some movement. There’s been a backlash from the, uh, there’s been a backlash from the opposition, but um…,” Biden, 81, said.
At that point, a reporter steps in and tells the commander-in-chief, “Yes, I’m sorry. From Hamas.
Biden had given a speech promoting the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, a border security bill.
Republican candidate front-runner Donald Trump has instructed members of the Republican Senate to reject the bill, despite the ongoing chaos at the southern border.
Biden stumbled and stuttered through the press conference until a reporter rescued him, recalling the name of terrorist group Hamas
The 81-year-old president was speaking about the Republican rejection of a border bill when asked about the ongoing hostage negotiations in Israel.
Reacting to Biden’s latest blunder, commentator Andrew Neil said: “The leader of the free world. You can see why autocrats everywhere are shaking
Reacting to Biden’s latest blunder, commentator Andrew Neil said: “The leader of the free world. You can understand why autocrats everywhere are trembling.”
Sky News’ US correspondent Mark Stone said: “This is a reflection of Biden’s age,” but added that Donald Trump is also aging and regularly mixes things up.
Just minutes after the Democratic president’s remarks at the White House, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell emerged from a Republican lunch at the Capitol and acknowledged that the deal was dead.
“It seems to me and to most of our members that we have no real chance of passing any law here,” the Kentucky Republican told reporters.
The split-screen moments in Washington represented a quick turn in events that showed McConnell’s loss of control of his GOP conference, Trump’s growing influence and Biden’s ability to single-handedly be seen as a cornerstone of his foreign policy – halting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s advance into Europe. – crumbled in Congress.
Just two days ago, Biden made another major blunder when he referred to French President Emmanuel Macron as François Mitterrand, the country’s former leader. Mitterrand died 28 years ago.
At Tuesday’s press conference, the Biden Congress will “show some backbone” and oppose Trump on the bill.
Hamas said on Tuesday it had given its response to a proposed Gaza ceasefire that would include the release of hostages, and the United States said it still believed an agreement was possible.
Details of the response were not immediately available.
In a statement, Hamas said it “responded in a positive spirit, by ensuring a comprehensive and complete ceasefire, putting an end to aggression against our people, providing aid, shelter and reconstruction, ending the siege of the Gaza Strip and to effect a prisoner exchange.’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a whirlwind tour of the Middle East that he would talk to Israeli officials on Wednesday when he visits the country.
While Biden acknowledged “some movement” on a deal, he described Hamas’ response as “a little bit overblown,” without elaborating. “We’re not sure where it is. Negotiations are still ongoing,” he said in Washington.
In Doha, Blinken said: “There is still much work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and even essential.”
He spoke at a press conference with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani after Hamas gave its response.
Sheikh Mohammed described Hamas’s response as “positive” overall, but also declined to provide details.
A Hamas official who asked not to be identified reiterated to Reuters earlier on Tuesday that the Palestinian Islamist movement would not allow a hostage release without guarantees that the war would end and Israeli forces would leave Gaza.
The proposed deal, drawn up more than a week ago by US and Israeli spy chiefs at a meeting with the Egyptians and Qataris, would secure the release of the remaining hostages held by militants in Gaza in exchange for a long break from fighting .
Sources close to the talks have said the ceasefire would last at least 40 days, during which militants would free civilians from among the remaining hostages they are holding.
Further phases would follow, involving the transfer of soldiers and dead bodies of hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.