
(DailyChive.com) – During a press briefing on a flight to Berlin, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made an awkward mistake, accidentally calling President Joe Biden the “former president”.
The mix-up happened as Jean-Pierre was answering a question about Biden’s conversation with former President Barack Obama at Ethel Kennedy’s funeral the day before. The New York Post even hired a professional lip reader to catch what the two presidents were saying off-mic. According to the lip reader, Biden told Obama, “She’s not as strong as me,” likely referring to Vice President Kamala Harris. Obama reportedly responded, “I know… that’s true,” and added, “We have time.”
A reporter pressed Jean-Pierre for more details, asking, “The president at the funeral yesterday had what looked like a spirited conversation with former President Obama. Did you talk to him about what they discussed?”
Jean-Pierre dodged the question, saying, “No, it’s been kind of busy the last couple hours on the plane, as you can imagine.” She did mention that Biden appreciated attending the funeral, calling Ethel Kennedy “an incredible force” in her life and community.
Then came the slip-up. While trying to emphasize Biden’s relationship with Obama, Jean-Pierre said, “And we have said many times the president and — and president — and former President Biden — they have a very close relationship.”
The official White House transcript quickly corrected the error, crossing out “Biden” and replacing it with “Obama” in brackets. Jean-Pierre didn’t offer much more about the exchange, saying she hadn’t spoken to Biden directly about the conversation.
The fumble adds to a growing list of communication missteps from the White House, fueling criticism that the administration struggles with messaging and public relations. Though slips like this are common in politics, critics are quick to seize on any mistake as a sign of larger issues. Whether this one sticks or gets brushed off as just another moment of human error remains to be seen.
At the very least, it raises questions—who’s running the show, and how closely do the players know their lines?
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