‘Uh, the, uh…’: Joe Biden stumbles over Lloyd Austin’s name as he recalls ire for putting ‘Black man’ in top position
As Joe Biden complained about receiving criticism for appointing a “Black man” to a critical job, he seemed to have stumbled over the name of Lloyd Austin.
Joe Biden on Wednesday appeared in a sit-down interview with Black Entertainment Television (BET) and spoke about how he was bashed for appointing black people in his administration.

As Biden complained about receiving criticism for appointing a “Black man” to a critical job, he seemed to have stumbled over the name of his Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin.
Meanwhile, a clip of the interview has gone viral on social media with critics slamming Biden, who is known for making faux pas, for forgetting Austin's name and referred to him “the black man.”
Some X users felt that he faltered when attempting to claim he had appointed “a Black man” in the position.
“It’s all about treating people with dignity. For example, look at the heat I’m getting because I named a, uh, the secretary of defense, [unintelligible] Black man,” Biden remarked.
“I mean, I named Ketanji Brown because of the people I've named,” he went on, referencing Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson of the Supreme Court. Notably, Biden nominated Jackson to the Supreme Court in February 2022.
Biden calls Zelenskyy ‘President Putin’
The interview comes at a time Biden is diagnosed with COVID and his physical and mental state have come under scrutiny due to his lackluster showing against GOP rival Donald Trump in the first presidential debate, which took place in Atlanta on June 27.
He has since made several more regrettable errors that have gone viral, such as calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “Putin” while discussing how the US is helping Ukraine repel Russia's invasion.
Last Thursday, Biden stated, "And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin," before realising his mistake.
Making light of the error, Zelenskyy told the POTUS, “I'm better.” In reply, Biden said, “You're a hell of a lot better.”
Amidst all the criticism, Biden asserted he is the best candidate to defeat Trump and has time and again refused to withdraw from the presidential race.
During the BET interview, Biden stated that he would think about resigning if he suffered from a health issue that afflicted him.
ABOUT THE AUTHORShweta KukretiShweta 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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