At a recent campaign event in Tampa, Florida, President Joe Biden aimed to highlight former President Donald Trump’s influence on women’s health care rights, particularly criticizing his role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. However, the speech took an unintended turn when Biden misspoke, inadvertently suggesting a lack of trustworthiness on his own part instead of his intended target, Trump.
Biden’s gaffe occurred as he attempted to condemn Trump for the policies and judicial appointments that have led to severe restrictions on abortion. In the heat of his critique, Biden mistakenly said, “How many times does he have to prove we can’t be trusted?” — a slip of the tongue that quickly shifted the narrative of his speech. The error was meant to be “he” referring to Trump, but came out as “we,” inadvertently including himself and his administration in the critique.
This slip-up is among several recent public speaking errors by Biden, who at 81 years old is the oldest president in U.S. history. Past misstatements include confusing names and places, which have fueled ongoing discussions about his age and mental acuity as he campaigns for re-election.
Despite the gaffe, Biden’s speech was focused on rallying support against the six-week abortion ban set to take effect in Florida, positioning it as part of a broader national rollback of reproductive rights driven by Republican policies. He emphasized the harsh consequences these policies have had on women’s access to health care and framed the upcoming elections as a pivotal moment for voters to respond to these issues.
Biden pointed to Trump’s description of the Dobbs decision, which effectively ended federal protections for abortion, as a “miracle,” using this to illustrate their fundamentally different perspectives on the issue. He humorously mentioned considering purchasing a Bible Trump was selling for $60 just to see Trump’s interpretation of the scriptures, further highlighting their ideological differences.
As the speech unfolded at a community college, Biden also took the opportunity to discuss the broader implications of restrictive abortion laws, noting the political and social fallout Republicans face from voters displeased with extreme bans. He mentioned the upcoming Florida ballot measure, Amendment 4, which seeks to extend the period abortions are allowed to 24 weeks, emphasizing the critical nature of voter turnout for this and other electoral challenges.
The mishap at the rally underscores the high stakes and intense scrutiny under which both Biden and Trump operate as the general election approaches, with each public statement and misstatement potentially swaying voter perceptions.