MEAWW.COM / NEWS / POLITICS

Joe Biden adds more grist to the meme mill after stumbling over 3-letter Pacific island acronym

Biden spoke during a White House summit for Pacific island nations, announcing an initiative to invest $40 billion in the region

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden, during a White House summit for Pacific island nations, announced an initiative to invest $40 billion in infrastructure development for the region.

However, the announcement was not without its flubs and gaffes, including an embarrassing stumble over the initiative's acronym and several other verbal flubs that have sparked conversation and social media commentary.

Joe Biden's acronym mishap and social media buzz

The President kicked off the event by introducing the Pacific Islands Initiative, but struggled to recall its acronym, stating, "We call it the P ... PI ... anyway, doesn't matter what we call it, but that's what it is." His futile attempt to recover elicited laughter from the participants in the East Room of the White House. "I was going to get back to acronyms and I'm ... not doing that," he quipped.

Social media platforms erupted with reactions to yet another of Biden's gaffes.

"Literally laughing out loud. Dude just gave up and said f*** it," one posted on X.

"They must’ve not had him on the good juice that day," another wrote.

"He sounds like he was about to fall asleep. Looks like they stopped all his energy meds," a comment read.

"It's like a verbal rollercoaster ride, where even the President himself isn't quite sure what to call it," someone else offered.

"The acronym is..... F-R-A-U-D," another added.

Polls have shown Biden in a tight race with former President Donald Trump, further amplifying concerns about his verbal missteps.

The 'Baltimore connection' which isn't

In addition to the acronym mishap, President Biden made another quirky comment during the event.

He claimed that both he and Mark Brown, the prime minister of the Cook Islands, were from Baltimore, even though neither of them hails from the city. The comment came as he discussed the benefits of strengthening ties between the two nations.

"The real reason is we are both from Baltimore, but that's a long story," President Biden remarked. However, this assertion lacks factual accuracy, as he was born in Scranton, north of Baltimore, and attended the University of Delaware — so there is no apparent connection between him and Baltimore.

Mark Brown, on the other hand, is a government official from the Cook Islands who studied in New Zealand and obtained an MBA at the University of the South Pacific.

Countering China in Pacific region

Despite the flubs, President Biden's summit with Pacific island leaders carried significant diplomatic weight. The gathering was part of a broader US effort to counter China's increasing influence in the strategically vital Pacific region, traditionally considered within America's sphere of influence.

Prior to the summit, President Biden announced the US diplomatic recognition of two additional Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands and Niue.

Furthermore, the US pledged new funding for regional infrastructure projects, including improving internet connectivity through undersea cables, and expressed its commitment to honor regional leaders at an NFL game.

This event marked the second White House summit with Pacific island nations, following a similar meeting a year ago. During the previous summit, President Biden's administration pledged support to help island nations resist economic coercion from China. A joint declaration emphasized their shared vision for a region where democracy could flourish.

This year, the White House's focus shifted to address critical priorities in the Pacific region, including climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, public health, and combatting illegal fishing.