Putin 'clearly losing the war in Iraq'
WASHINGTON (TND) — President Biden told reporters Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "clearly losing the war in Iraq," representing the latest in a series of gaffes committed by the 80-year-old commander-in-chief.
The slip-up came when a reporter asked President Biden if Putin's regime lost strength after an attempted rebellion by the paramilitary Wagner Group threatened Moscow over the weekend.
"It’s hard to tell, but he is clearly losing the war in Iraq, he’s losing the war at home and he has become a bit of a pariah around the world,” Biden responded.
Biden's mental acuity has been the subject of mockery and concern from both Democrats and Republicans recently, including late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert.
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Republicans have focused on Biden's age as a red flag leading up to the 2024 presidential election, with some saying the president is unfit for office.
"We now see the mainstream media questioning President Biden’s mental state, and for good reason,” Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said during a congressional hearing last year. “Sadly, he shakes hands with ghosts and imaginary people, and he falls off bicycles."
Axios reported in April that close advisors to President Biden are concerned about his age and believe his relative lack of energy is "significantly limiting his schedule."
Polling shows voters may share the same concern. An NBC News poll conducted shortly before Biden announced his reelection campaign found 70% of Americans didn't want Biden to run for president again, including 51% of Democrats.
Of the 70% who disapproved of a Biden reelection campaign, almost half said his age was a major factor in their opinion, according to the NBC News poll.
READ MORE | Biden apparently forgets GOP rep died in car crash, asks where she is at conference
The frontrunner to win the GOP presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump, is 77-years-old.
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