In the midst of escalating tensions and violence between Israel and Palestine, President Joe Biden addressed Jewish leaders at the White House, making a statement that raised concerns. On October 11, Biden asserted that the Israeli attack was marked by "a campaign of pure cruelty, not just hate, but pure cruelty against the Jewish people." He went on to express, "I never really thought that I would see and have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children."
In response to this, the White House swiftly issued a clarification. A spokesperson from the White House informed The Washington Post that neither President Biden nor other US officials had personally witnessed or independently confirmed reports of Hamas beheading Israeli children. The President's remarks were based on claims made by Netanyahu's spokesperson and media reports from Israel, according to the White House.
President Biden, who has playfully referred to himself as a "gaffe machine," is recognized for occasional verbal missteps. His predecessor, Donald Trump, also experienced his fair share of gaffes, and both administrations have found it necessary to clarify statements on prior occasions. Let's delve into some of their notable instances of misspeaking.
In September 2022, during an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," President Biden was questioned about whether US forces would come to Taiwan's defense in the event of an invasion. Biden's response was, "Yes if in fact there was an unprecedented attack." When further probed about US forces defending Taiwan in the face of a Chinese invasion, Biden once again replied, "Yes."
These answers sparked speculation about a potential shift in US policy regarding Taiwan. However, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan later clarified during a press briefing with CNN that Biden's responses were in response to a "hypothetical question." Sullivan emphasized, "When the President of the United States wishes to announce a policy change, he will do so. He has not done so."
In July 2022, a video of President Joe Biden appeared to depict him claiming that he had cancer during a speech, eliciting reactions on social media. Shortly thereafter, social media was inundated with users expressing their shock, while others offered prayers for the President's well-being.
A White House official later confirmed that Biden was referring to his past removal of skin cancer and had mistakenly used the present tense in his statement, as reported by Fox News.
During a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, on March 26, 2022, President Biden denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin and asserted that he "cannot remain in power."
The White House clarified that this statement "was not a call for regime change." A White House official explained, "The President's point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin's power in Russia or regime change."
In October 2022, at a reception for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Biden issued a warning about the risk of nuclear "Armageddon." He emphasized that there was a "direct threat" of nuclear weapons being used for the first time since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
However, a day later, the White House clarified that the US possessed no new intelligence regarding Russia's nuclear threats. The US also had no indications that Russia was preparing to imminently employ nuclear weapons and saw no reason to alter its existing nuclear posture, as relayed by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to reporters.
In one of his unscripted remarks, President Joe Biden characterized Pakistan as "one of the most dangerous nations in the world" while addressing a Democratic Party congressional campaign committee reception on October 13, 2022. Biden said, "And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion."
Days later, US Department of State spokesperson Vedant Patel reassured reporters that the US had confidence in Pakistan's commitment and capability to secure its nuclear assets.
In November 2022, President Biden faced criticism for comments about shutting down coal-powered energy plants. He stated, "No one is building new coal plants because they can't rely on it, even if they have all the coal guaranteed for the rest of their existence of the plant." Biden made these remarks during an event in Carlsbad, California, where he also talked about transitioning to wind and solar energy.
Senator Joe Manchin criticized these comments as "outrageous" and "divorced from reality." The White House Press Secretary clarified that the President's remarks had been misinterpreted and that he was addressing economic and technological realities.
During a rally in Florida on February 18, 2017, Donald Trump referred to "what's happening last night in Sweden" while listing parts of Europe affected by terrorist attacks.
On February 20, Trump took to social media to clarify his statement. He explained that he was referring to a story broadcast on Fox News concerning immigrants and Sweden.
Sarah Sanders, who was the principal deputy press secretary for the White House at that time, also stated that Trump had been discussing rising crime and recent incidents in Europe in general, rather than alluding to a specific issue.
In a televised briefing on the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, Trump made a statement suggesting that researchers should explore the possibility of using disinfectants to treat the virus, leading to criticism from experts.
The White House press secretary at the time, Kayleigh McEnany, accused the media of taking Trump's comments out of context.
"President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday's briefing," McEnany stated.
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