"So today, as you all saw just an hour or so ago, President Obama announced that--Pardon me, President Biden!" Jean-Pierre said as reporters shouted surprise. "Woah! Ahem, that is news. I know, we're going back not forwards. We've gotta go forwards."
She then went on to announce "President Biden's" nominee to lead the World Bank.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slipped up and referred to President Biden as "President Obama" on Thursday. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre laughed after briefly forgetting who was president while speaking at the podium. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
OBAMA ETHICS CHIEF BLASTS BIDEN'S ‘INEXCUSABLE NEGLECT OF THE MOST BASIC SECURITY PROTOCOLS’
The slip-up comes as rumors continue to swirl regarding Biden's plans for 2024. While the White House insists he "intends to run," many Democrats have expressed skepticism due to his age. Many expected Biden to make an announcement in the wake of his State of the Union speech earlier this month, but nothing ever came.
Obama has stood up for Biden's mental health in the past, however, blasting his own former White House physician when he criticized Biden's performance.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mistook President Biden for "President Obama" during Thursday's briefing. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Biden admitted in October that questions about his age are "totally legitimate."
"I think it’s a legitimate thing to be concerned about anyone’s age, including mine. That’s totally legitimate. But I think the best way to make the judgment is to, you know, watch me. Am I slowing up? Am I – don’t have the same pace?" Biden said in an interview with MSNBC at the time.
Biden is the oldest person ever to hold the office of president, and he will be nearly 82 on Election Day in 2024.