Joe Biden Makes Another Blunder During Key Campaign Stop in Battleground State

President Joe Biden made a pit stop in Michigan to convince his supporters that he still deserves to 'stay in the race'. "There's a lot of speculation right now, 'What's Joe going to do, is he going to stay in?' Biden said. 'I am running, and we're gonna win," he told the enthusiastic crowd. However, the Democratic leader quickly confused identities and sparked another round of disparaging remarks among his admirers. "I promise you, I am – I'm OK," he said, before expressing gratitude to a Congresswoman, he called "Debbie Haley." He was speaking of Michigan congresswoman Debbie Dingell, a five-term member, though it's possible that he mistook her for South Carolina governor and former presidential contender Nikki Haley.

According to The Daily Mail, Biden didn't correct his mistake but remarked, "Sometimes I confuse names. And by the way, I want you to know that I've spent much time with Debbie. She helped me a lot." According to the New York Post, Biden tried deflecting the situation by cracking a joke that Dingell looked like his wife Jill Biden, "I forget which event we were at, and someone said, you're his wife, aren't you?' Biden said, saying she 'looks like Jill." 

Meanwhile, numerous key Democratic officials from Michigan ditched the rally, Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer, a co-chair of the Biden campaign, wasn't in the state for the occasion. Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who is running for the open Senate seat in Wolverine State, skipped the event, and Shawn Fain, President of United Auto Workers also remained absent. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) who stated that he believed Biden could "absolutely" defeat former president Donald Trump in November didn't attend the rally.

Taking a jab at his Democratic party and the elite crowd who in the past weeks have echoed the chorus of him stepping down, Biden said, "You may have noticed since the debate, the press, you good guys and women up there, they've been hammering me. Donald Trump has gotten a free pass." Biden next stopped at Detroit and the crowd gathered at the Renaissance High School auditorium encouraged him with slogans "Four more years" and "We want Joe." The chants grew louder as he entered the stage, "Don't you quit", the crowd cheered. 

Following his week-long meetings with foreign leaders at the NATO summit in Washington, Biden arrived in the pivotal swing state on Thursday evening. "Joe Biden has been making gaffes for 40 years. He made a couple of last night. He will probably continue to do so," campaign communications director Michael Tyler stated in the president's defense.

Biden spoke with supporters at the Garage Grill & Fuel Bar in Northville before his event, trying to comfort them. "I promise you, I'm okay," he said. He spoke without notes and a teleprompter for fourteen minutes as he made his way around the tables trying to woo the voters. "We have real opportunities, and so we've got to finish the job," Biden said while urging them to vote 'Blue'.