Joe Biden on Friday stumbled through an interview on his proposed response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Following a long and disjointed introduction, Biden appeared to suggest policy proposals similar to those Franklin D. Roosevelt employed to coordinate manufacturing for the war effort in the 1940’s.
BIDEN: “Um, you know, there’s a, uh, during World War II, uh, you know, where Roosevelt came up with a thing, uh, that, uh, you know, was totally different than a- than the- it’s called, he called it, the, you know, the World War II, he had the war- the the War Production Board.” pic.twitter.com/CwFSW2UITD
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) April 17, 2020
“You know, there’s a, uh — during World War II, you know, Roosevelt came up with a thing that uh, you know was totally different than a, than the, you know he called it you know the, World War II, he had the war… the war production board,” Biden said.
Biden has a history of public speaking gaffes, although the recent frequency of his slip-ups have elicited allegations of cognitive decline from President Trump and his allies. The former vice president’s campaign was thrown into further uncertainty with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced various states to implement mail-in voting for their primaries, and has limited campaign events to virtual platforms.
During the height of the outbreak in New York, some Democrats speculated on whether Governor Andrew Cuomo might make a better presidential candidate. Cuomo’s favorability ratings shot up in his home state as he dealt with the pandemic, however he has denied that he has any intention of challenging Biden.
Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) dropped out of the race after weeks of speculation following a string of Biden primary victories and endorsed the former vice president several days later. Barack Obama has also endorsed his former running-mate.