Biden says European leader who died in 2017 attended 2021 meeting days after Macron mix-up

For the second time this week, President Joe Biden mixed up European leaders, confusing former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl with Angela Merkel at a fundraising event in New York. 

Biden attended three campaign events in New York, and recounted meeting with leaders of G-7 countries in 2021 in Cornwall, England, discussing the events of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. At the second and third event, Biden said Helmut Koht, who died in June 2017, asked him how he would respond if 1,000 people stormed British Parliament in an attempt “to stop the election of a prime minister,” according to a pool report. Angela Merkel, who served as the Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021, attended the three-day summit in 2021 with Biden present. 

Biden’s gaffe was the second time he confused a deceased European leader with the correct one this week. 

Speaking at a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday evening, Biden again recalled the G-7 summit in 2021. He mentioned speaking to “Mitterand from Germany” who was President of France from 1981 to 1995, before dying in 1996.

“Right after I was elected, I went to what they call a G-7 meeting, all the NATO leaders,” Biden said. “I sat down and I said, ‘America is back,’ and Mitterand from Germany, I mean France, looked at me, and said, said, ‘You know, why, how long you back for?’”

“And I looked at him, and the Chancellor of Germany said, ‘What would you say, Mr. President, if you picked up the paper tomorrow in the London Times and the London Times said a thousand people had broken into the House of Commons to ‘stop the election of the Prime Minister?’” Biden added, referring to Merkel. 

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Biden’s age is among voters top concerns as the 2024 election cycle is in full swing. A majority of voters, 76%, have major or moderate concerns when asked about the Democratic president’s age, and mental and physical health. An NBC News poll released Tuesday shows those concerns are held by 54% of his voter Democratic base.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Biden’s campaign for comment.

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