Joe Biden Teleprompter Fails That Were So Embarrassing

Joe Biden has been causing quite the ruckus after his disastrous presidential debate performance in June 2024. President Biden was stumbling over words, losing his train of thought, and simply did not seem prepared for the questions asked. Granted, Biden did not have a teleprompter to guide him, but would you believe us if we told you that, even with a teleprompter, the president has had some major fails.

In July 2024, The Washington Post revealed that, in the past year, Biden has relied on using teleprompters more often than not while making public appearances. It's become so noticeable that even reporters have questioned the political figure's use of teleprompters during White House press conferences. At one point, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reassured the media that Biden's teleprompter was not out of the norm. According to a press briefing, she said, "Look, it is not unusual for a president to use a teleprompter. It isn't. It is not unusual. That is something that presidents have done in the past." It's true; presidents use teleprompters for important speeches and events – including Biden.

However, Biden's use of teleprompters has become more prominent in the headlines, not just because of his terrible debate performance but also because he has had a few blunders here and there. Some are worse than others, but you can be the judge as we take a look at a handful of President Biden's teleprompter fails.

There's nothing like a dramatic pause in your speech that can help get your point across. President Joe Biden attempted to use this tactic when speaking about his potential reelection, but he ruined the pivotal moment when he actually said the word "pause."

A video posted by Forbes Breaking News showed the president giving a speech to his supporters in April 2024. Biden explained how he and his administration have contributed to economic growth before expressing, "Folks, imagine what we could do next." Biden was all geared up to have a powerful moment, but it quickly became cringeworthy. He shouted, "Four more years," and it seemed that the president was supposed to pause for cheers, but instead, he literally said the word, "pause." Biden took the cues on the teleprompter a little too seriously, making him look like a fool as his haters used the video to take jabs at the politician.

One person on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, "This guy is a joke." Another social media user joked about a hypothetical conversation with Biden and his staff right before he took the stage. They wrote, "Staff- Joe, it's easy, just read the teleprompter word for word and say exactly what it says. Got it? Joe Biden- Yep! Got it! 'Four more years.. pause.'" The video didn't pause the hateful comments toward Biden as they kept coming in one after another.

Since he was young, Joe Biden has had an issue with stuttering. He's been open about his tragic situation over his decades-long career. Speaking to a CNN town hall in 2020, Biden revealed that he still has trouble with his stutter but that it doesn't indicate a level of intelligence. He shared, "It has nothing to do with your intelligence quotient. It has nothing to do with your intellectual makeup." So, when Biden does stumble over his words, many place blame on his stutter. However, an incident in 2022 was clearly not due to Biden's disability but the teleprompter in front of him.

In November 2022, Biden appeared at the United Nations Climate Change Conference and had trouble during his speech as he attempted to read a quote. In a video of the speech, the president said, "...recently included that our significant climate investment will quote help turbocharge – the –the..." Biden tried to get back on track, repeating the quote several times, but he couldn't quite grasp it. He blamed his reading skills on the teleprompter. He said, "I was reading the quote. Sorry." Although he tried to apologize for the situation, people couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed for the president.

Teleprompters can be either Joe Biden's best friend or his worst enemy. In May 2024, they were his worst enemy. Biden had taken a trip to Wisconsin to give remarks about the economy while speaking to his supporters. However, right when Biden took the stage, he had an embarrassing teleprompter blunder that became the key takeaway from his speech.

In the speech posted by Forbes Breaking News, Biden reflected on his transformation over the years, specifically his time in Delaware. He explained how he once had a professor drafted by the Green Bay Packers but decided to become a priest instead. As the political figure shared the story about his professor, he also partially told the audience his name. Biden said, "...my theology professor at the catholic school I went to was a guy named Riley last name." Yup, you read that right! Instead of filling in his professor's last name, Biden appeared to say what was on the teleprompter.

People cowered in embarrassment for the president as he was ripped apart online for the mistake. One person joked on X, "I wonder how old Riley LAST NAME is doing nowadays...." The incident happened just a month after his infamous pause mistake, which people weren't afraid to call out. One person wrote, "Just when you thought reading '(PAUSE)... FOUR MORE YEARS' off the teleprompter is as bad as it gets... I give you '(LAST NAME).'"

In the wake of the October 7th Hamas attack, Joe Biden decided to make a rare address to the nation. Biden spoke not only of the conflicts in Israel but also about the ongoing war in Ukraine and why Americans need to assist in the efforts. He shared (via ABC), "So let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America's national security," he continued, "You know, history has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction." The address was focused on serious topics occurring worldwide, but unfortunately, Biden's teleprompter mishap quickly stole the show.

At one point during his speech, Biden discussed how he did not have plans to have American troops fighting Russia. However, in an awkward moment caught on camera, a clip showed Biden uttering the words "make it clear," which many believe was written on the teleprompter to make his point clear, not for him to repeat it to the American people. Biden said, "We'll have something that we do not seek — make it clear we do not seek — we do not seek to have American troops fighting in Russia." Whoops! It looks like the teleprompter got the best of Biden once again.

Joe Biden made it clear that he was not a fan of the Supreme Court's decision, implying that presidents are immune from prosecution. The decision was made shortly after Donald Trump was convicted of falsifying business records, which Biden condemned in a press conference. However, as he spoke, the president seemed to have a bit of a teleprompter gaffe.

In his speech, Biden read a quote by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who dissented the court's decision. Biden said, "I concur with Justice (Sonia) Sotomayor's dissent today. Here's what she said – she said, 'In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law. With fear for our democracy, I dissent,' end of quote." As people watched Biden, they believed he made a teleprompter mistake by saying "end of quote." The political figure was ripped apart online for taking the teleprompter too literally. One social media user said, "Reading a Teleprompter before 4 PM and still screws it up." However, all is not what it seems, at least not this time.

Biden's teleprompter mistake was not actually a mistake. Media outlets, including USA Today, fact-checked the viral video of the president's blunder and discovered that Biden was simply making it clear when Justice Sotomayor's quote ended and his thoughts began. Still, the video had already done its damage, with many believing Biden made a major error.