Why is 'I’m Joe Biden and I forgot this message' trending? Trump backers sell t-shirts slamming ex-VP's 'dementia'
After a series of gaffes on the campaign trail, the most recent one being mixing up the name of his opponent, President Donald Trump with either of the former presidents - George H. W. Bush or George W. Bush – “I’m Joe Biden and I forgot this message” started trending.
Using the opportunity to highlight his apparent mental vulnerability, fans of the POTUS have begun selling t-shirts on Amazon which read, “I’m Joe Biden and I forgot this message” which could be the reason that the phrase was trending. The fans also flocked to social media to share the phrase as a meme as it was a pun on a statement that officials are often seen using in their political advertising, for example, "I'm Joe Biden and I approve this message."
We previously reported that Biden forgot that Trump is the current US president, a little over a week ahead of the country's presidential election, and proclaimed that he was fighting against "four more years of George." The slipup happened during a virtual concert called "I Will Vote" where the 77-year-old former vice president addressed supporters online with his wife Jill next to him.“The character of the country, in my view, is literally on the ballot,” Biden told moderators George Lopez and CNN analyst Ana Navarro. “Four more years of George, um, George, gonna find ourselves in a position where if Trump gets elected, we’re gonna be in a different world.”
At that very moment, Jill appeared to remind him, under her breath who currently holds the president's office. "Trump," she said as Biden faltered in his speech and seemed confused. Many speculated that the former VP was thinking of George W Bush, who was president from 2001 to 2009, but he may well have been referring to Bush Sr who was president from 1989-93. The blunder once again raised questions about how fit Biden was mentally to assume the prestigious office if he were to win in 2020.
The gaffe was seized upon by Trump as he tweeted, "Joe Biden called me George yesterday. Couldn’t remember my name. Got some help from the anchor to get him through the interview. The Fake News Cartel is working overtime to cover it up!"
Joe Biden called me George yesterday. Couldn’t remember my name. Got some help from the anchor to get him through the interview. The Fake News Cartel is working overtime to cover it up!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 26, 2020
Speaking at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Monday, October 26, the president took a jab at Biden for the same gaffe. "Did you see when he called me George?" Trump asked the crowd of Biden. "I don't know if I like George. What a mess. He called me George." The Biden camp has since clarified that the former vice president referred to George Lopez – the one who asked him why an undecided voter should vote for Biden – when he referred to "George" during the interview. The Washington Post reported Biden's spokesman Andrew Bates saying, “He was addressing George Lopez, the interviewer, as is a common practice. That is, unless, like Donald Trump, you blow a gasket and storm out because you can’t stomach being fact-checked.”
Among other gaffes in the past, Biden has forgotten Senator Mitt Romney's (R-UT) name, claimed 200 million Americans have died of Covid-19 and said he was running for "Senate" in 2020. As a result, Republicans have suggested that the Democratic candidate was senile and Trump has even claimed that Biden has dementia, adding that he was "obvious and rapidly getting worse".
Nevertheless, despite Biden's gaffes, he has managed to maintain a strong lead in the polls ahead of the election.