Less than two weeks after returning from a visit to Ireland, President Joe Biden appeared to momentarily forget the country he had just visited, only to be reminded by a child on Thursday during a Take Your Child to Work Day event at the White House.
In mid-April, Biden traveled to Ireland to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. This historic accord ended the longstanding conflict between Irish Protestants and Catholics.
Although the President devoted much of his trip to discussing his family's connections to the Emerald Isle and the strong bond between the United States and Ireland, the visit momentarily slipped his mind.
During the White House event, a child inquired, "What was the last country you traveled to?" Biden appeared to struggle to recall his most recent overseas trip, saying, "The last country I've traveled I'm trying to think the last one I was in I, I've been to 89 I've met with 89 heads of state so far, so, uh I'm trying to think. What was the last Where was the last place I was? It's hard to keep track. Um, I was "
Another child helpfully shouted the correct answer: "Ireland!" Biden smiled, "Yeah, you're right, Ireland. That's where it was. How'd you know that?"
The exchange generated a flurry of reactions across social media, with commentators both chuckling at the incident and expressing concern about the state of the American presidency.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., posted on Twitter, "Today, Biden forgot the last foreign country he visited as president. It was Ireland. Week before last. And he wants four more years?"
Paul Bedard, Washington Secrets Columnist, referenced Biden's earlier light-hearted remark about wanting to remain in Ireland: "He loved Ireland so much, he said he was staying...and he already forgot? 'I'm not going home. I'm staying here,'" Bedard wrote.
A professional golfer, Steve Flesch described the incident as "disgraceful" and suggested it was why other countries lack respect for America, tweeting, "Cognitively unfit by a mile."
Author Jim Rickards commented, "Biden was in Ireland two weeks ago. When asked about it by a child today, Biden couldn't recall where he was. Another child helped out by shouting, 'Ireland!' Maybe that child would make a more competent president."
Writer Doug Powers humorously suggested, "Kid should have yelled 'China' just to see how Biden would react."
Some commentators took the opportunity to poke fun at Biden's recent interaction with the press, where he was caught holding a cheat sheet that appeared to contain a reporter's question.
The account representing Live from Studio 6B joked, "Check the cards Joe. I'm sure there's a map of Ireland on there with the kids question."
Meteorologist Ryan Maue quipped, "It's Biden's first 2024 campaign rally at the White House, and he's being bombarded by kids with random questions about foreign policy. Tough crowd!"
Commentator Kate Hyde pointed out the irony of the situation, saying, "The administration works SO HARD to keep Biden away from the press and thinks kids are safe to talk to but, as we saw in Ireland, kids show Biden's incompetence better than anyone."
National Review contributor Pradheep J. Shanker tweeted, "These kids are doing the job journalists could be doing... For free!"
The incident highlights the ongoing debate around the President's mental fitness and serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in the highest office.
Login