When Joe Biden Joked ‘I Keep Forgetting I’m President’ in Front of The US Military Stationed in The UK

While on his first international trip to the UK for the G7 conference in 2021, President Joe Biden, who is frequently trolled for having a memory problem, whimsically acknowledged his embarrassing habit. Speaking to a group of US military personnel stationed in the UK, Biden cracked the awkward joke in front of the Royal Air Force base in England. Biden stood on stage and started his address with the words 'When I was 14...' but was soon sidetracked by the standing throng. He said, At ease', gesturing for the sizable assembly to return to their seats, then joked, "I keep forgetting I'm president." 

However, POTUS, later went on to make a blunder, when he called the RAF the RFA, according to The US Sun. "These partnerships have hardened and have been hardened in the fire of war and generations of Americans and service members who fought them. Like those RFA pilots," he uttered by mistake. It happened soon after the First Lady made a jest about her husband needing to focus. "Joe, pay attention," Jill Biden said. 

During her speech, the First Lady informed the troops' families that they were as 'crucial to our military as radar' and went on to compliment the military for their patriotism, "When you serve, your families serve too." She emphasized the need for national security and said RAF Mildenhall personnel were aware of it. On the other hand, Biden broke down in tears during his speech to the RAF, describing his delight at his late son Beau's military career. He said, "We have an awful lot of history at this base...I'm sure everyone here knows the history." He also went on to mention that his uncle had died in the conflict and that the base had been bombarded thousands of times during World War II. 

The Bidens later received a warm welcome by Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle towards the end of the G7 summit. As per The NY Post, following their arrival, the First Battalion Grenadier Guards from Queen's Company presented a Guard of Honor, and when the U.S. National Anthem was played, the Bidens, standing on either side of the Queen, placed their hands over their hearts. Before boarding Air Force One for Belgium, Biden also expressed his admiration for the Queen, calling her 'very generous'. “I don’t think she’d be insulted [but] she reminded me of my mother,” he added. 

POTUS also disclosed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping were two topics the Queen had wished to know more about. He shared, “I said I wished we could stay longer, maybe we could hold up the cars a minute and stuff. Anyway, she was very gracious.”