Biden Tells Audience of Recent Encounter with Mitterrand, the Late Former French President who Passed Away in 1996

On Sunday, Biden was recounting one of his go-to stories at a Las Vegas speech when he accidentally said he had recently met with Francois Mitterrand, a long-dead French president.

The context

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Biden was recounting an anecdote from a meeting he had with French President Emmanuel Macron shortly after he assumed office. “I sat down,” Biden told the crowd, “and I said, ‘America’s back.’”

The gaffe

US President Joe Biden speaks to the press as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, January 13, 2024. Biden will spend the weekend at Camp David. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
Image by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

“And Mitterrand from Germany — I mean from France — looked at me and said…” At this point, Biden trailed off for a second.

The joke

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“Well,” Biden finished, “how long are you back for?” Biden has told this story several times to underline the dangers of another Trump presidency.

The problem

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However, Francois Mitterand died 28 years ago. He served as France’s president between 1981 and 1995.

Continuing the story

US President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to Allentown Fire Training Academy in Allentown, Pennsylvania on January 12, 2024. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)
Image by Mandel NGAN / AFP

Biden then spoke about how the “Chancellor of Germany” asked him how he and the US would react if Britain’s House of Commons suffered the equivalent of the Jan 6 riot. 

Upcoming primary

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Biden was speaking in Nevada to whip up support before the state holds its presidential primary on Tuesday. In 2020, he barely carried the state, scraping by with a lower than 3-point lead.

Practically unopposed

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This year, however, Biden is running basically unopposed. Some challengers, including Marianne Williamson, are on Nevada’s ballot, but are unlikely to gain much support.

The age-old question

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Trump and the GOP have repeatedly attacked Biden for his advanced age, claiming he is mentally unfit to serve another term as president. According to polls, about two-thirds of voters agree.

Not the only one

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However, those polls show that roughly half of voters also think Trump is too old to handle a second term in the White House. The former president has made a number of embarrassing slip-ups himself in recent weeks.

Strange behavior

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On the same day Trump won the New Hampshire presidency, a presidential historian slammed him for confusing Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi. Trump claimed that Haley was “in charge of security” during the Jan 6 attack.

Far from the truth

Nikki Haley Addressing the public
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In fact, neither Nikki Haley nor Nancy Pelosi had anything to do with security on Jan 6. “He makes other mistakes,” the presidential historian told MSNBC, noting that their frequency “seems to be getting more, rather than less.”

Bizarre display

Former US President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks during a Team Trump Iowa Commit to Caucus event at the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa, on October 7, 2023. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP)
Image by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP

In the days leading up to New Hampshire’s primary, Trump made multiple gaffes during rallies in the state, from slurring his words to becoming momentarily confused. “They want to de-bank you,” he was saying during one rally, “and we’re going to de-bank — think of this. They want to take away your rights. They want to take away your country. The things they’re doing, all-electric cars. Give me a break.”

Funny behavior

Former US President and 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump greets supporters as he leaves a town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 10, 2024. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP)
Image by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP

At another rally, Trump’s attempt to describe a missile launch system went viral on X. “These are not muscle guys here,” Trump said, pointing at his arms. “They’re muscle guys up here, right,” he continued, pointing at his head.

Acting it out

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“And then they calmly walk to us,” Trump continued, “and ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.… They’ve only got 17 seconds to figure this whole thing out. Boom. OK. Missile launch. Woosh. Boom.”

Asking questions

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“Don’t be surprised if you have someone that is 80 in office,” Haley said in response to Trump’s mix-up of her and Pelosi, “their mental stability is going to continue to decline. That’s just human nature. I don’t know if he was confused, I don’t know what happened, but it’s enough to send us a warning sign.”

Dangerous game

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“The age issue is one that if Trump gets tarred with the same brush as Biden, it really hurts him,” a poll director told the New York Times. In one October poll of Pennsylvania voters, those who thought both were too old to be president heavily favored Biden over Trump when forced to choose.

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