27 February 2024 , 12:35
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Joe Biden has made a cutting jab at Donald Trump on late night TV show after the ex-President appeared to forget his wife Melania's name.
Appearing on Seth Meyers' late night show last night, Joe Biden, 81, took a dig at Donald Trump after the ex-president slipped up and forgot Melania's name. Trying to reach out to his voters in a different way, avoiding the usual press conferences, Biden joked about Trump's blunder.
It came as the incumbent President addressed concerns about his plan to run for office once again given his age. He told Meyers: "You got to take a look at the other guy, he's about as old as I am, but he can't remember his wife's name."
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Biden made the stinging jab after Trump's gaffe (Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Image)Trump had been at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington when he made the mistake. He was talking about his wife Melania, praising her, but mentioned "Mercedes" - confusing her with Mercedes Schlapp, his former helper who was in the crowd.
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Some people on social media and Meyers in his monologue suggested that Trump got confused and used the wrong name for his wife. Highlighting what really counts, Biden said, it's "how old your ideas are".
He then criticised Trump and Republicans for wanting to roll back the clock on policies that have been "solid American positions", such as abortion access, for decades. President Biden also had a go at Trump for praising those involved in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and promising to pardon those who attacked police officers and tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He said: "That's what happens in Eastern European countries. That's not what happens in America."
The former president praised his wife Melania and also referenced Mercedes (Anadolu via Getty Images)Meyers often pokes fun at Trump, and spent a lot of his show before Biden's appearance criticising the former president and Republicans over a controversial court decision in Alabama that disrupted in vitro fertilisation treatment in the state. He also had a jab at some Democrats who have tried to shield Biden from any criticism, showing a clip of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman saying those who criticise Biden might as well be supporting Trump.
“Criticizing or mocking our leaders is a healthy thing in a democracy,” Meyers said. “I mean, Joe Biden seems to be able to take a joke. We here at ‘Late Night’ make jokes about him all the time.”
In his first three years as president, Biden has held 33 press conferences, the fewest in that period since Ronald Reagan, according to Martha Kumar, a retired professor from Towson University and an expert on presidents and the press. Biden has given just 86 interviews, a lot fewer than the 422 given by Barack Obama during his first three years.
After the interview, Biden stopped for some mint chip ice cream from Van Leeuwen, with Meyers joining him and choosing the honeycomb flavour. Earlier, he had been at an event with donors at a hotel in the city centre.