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Biden repeats long-debunked claim about travel with Xi Jinping, gives himself a new name in latest gaffe

In another blunder, US President Joe Biden once again repeated his false claim about travelling 17,000 miles with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Updated on: Apr 5, 2024, 17:55:34 IST
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In another blunder, US President Joe Biden once again repeated his false claim about travelling 17,000 miles with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During a speech at the White House, Joe Biden recounted an anecdotal about an exchange he had with Xi, during which the Chinese premier asked him to describe the United States. (AP)
During a speech at the White House, Joe Biden recounted an anecdotal about an exchange he had with Xi, during which the Chinese premier asked him to describe the United States. (AP)

During his speech at the White House event marking Greek Independence Day on Thursday, the 81-year-old president repeated the debunked claim and also seemed to have forgotten his own name and made reference to the 'O' Biden administration instead of Obama.

Biden recounted an anecdotal about an exchange he had with Xi, during which the Chinese premier asked him to describe the United States.

“I was once asked by Xi Jinping, and I travelled 17,000 miles with him — I was out at the Tibetan plateau. He looked at me, and he said, 'can you define America?' I could say the same thing if he asked me to define Greece,” the POTUS said.

“I said, 'yes…one word' and I mean this sincerely, it's recorded, I said, ‘possibilities’,” he added.

Biden has earned a 'bottomless Pinocchio' rating from the Washington Post over the persistent use of this long-debunked claim.

Earlier, the outlet pointed out that Biden had repeated the claim nearly 21 times as an example of the effort he has made to build rapport with Xi Jinping amid escalating tensions between China and the US.

In another awkward moment during his address, Biden mispronounced Obama's name as the "O" Biden administration, which made the audience giggle.

Also Read: ‘Stop it now’: Joe Biden gets stern warning from wife Jill as US authorises more bombs for Israel

Biden rejects special counsel Robert Hur's report

Biden's latest blunder follows a string of embarrassing ones, which also includes his recent rejection of a DOJ report that cast doubt on his mental fitness.

Special Counsel Robert Hur's report on Biden's mishandling of classified documents was critical about the president's suitability for office. While the files were discovered in Biden's garage, the report did not suggest filing charges.

Also Read: Biden and Xi's two-hour phone call sets the tone for future China-US relations

During his questioning with investigators, Biden seemed confused about the dates he served as vice president and he was even unable to recall the year when his son Beau passed away.

Despite a favorable response to his State of the Union speech, Biden's average popularity rating has fallen to its lowest point of his whole tenure.

Based on national average estimations by poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight, Biden's approval rating is presently at 37.4%, the lowest since December 2023, when he achieved an average of 37.6%.

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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