The presidential election has generated several high-profile political gaffes this year, including President Biden's widely criticized debate performance and his being called “garbage” by Trump supporters in the final days of Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign.
Here are six of the biggest political missteps of 2024:
Biden debate disaster: A hoarse voice and confused answers scare Democrats
President Biden's disastrous performance during his debate with former President Trump on June 27 appeared to be the beginning of the end for Biden's 2024 re-election campaign.
He struggled with a His voice rasped and he gave rambling answers During the debate in Atlanta, raising doubts about his ability to remain at the top of the Democratic Party's presidential ticket.
President Biden is seen participating in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election with former President Trump at CNN Studios in Atlanta on June 27. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Biden campaign blamed the hoarse voice on a cold and the 81-year-old admitted a week later that he had “got it wrong” and “It was a bad night” But this did not stop Democrats chorus From calling on him to withdraw from the race.
In a shocking move, Biden then He pulled the plug on his campaign On July 21, she endorsed Harris, who would lose to Trump in November.
Biden calls Trump supporters “trash”
Biden appeared to motivate Republicans when he did so He called Trump's supporters “trash.” Less than a week before Election Day.
Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 27 made headlines when a comedian mocked various ethnic groups, calling Puerto Rico a “floating trash island.”
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 27. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Then during a conference call “The only trash I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said with the group Voto Latino on Oct. 30.
Biden and the White House then He tried to clean up his words In the days that followed. However, the statement was quickly likened to Hillary Clinton describing half of Trump's supporters as belonging to a “basket of deplorables” in 2016, a comment widely seen as undermining her campaign.
Harris says “there's nothing… that comes to my mind” about what she would do differently than Biden
Vice President Kamala Harris Answer to a question His Oct. 8 appearance on “The View” may have been a turning point in the 2024 presidential election.
Co-host Sunny Hostin asked Harris: “If anything, would you have done anything differently than President Biden over the last four years?” Harris paused for a moment and then said, “There's nothing that comes to my mind regarding — and I've been part of most of the decisions that have had an impact.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, center, is photographed during a break in a taping of “The View” with hosts, from left, Sarah Haines, Ana Navarro, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farrah Griffin, Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin on Oct. 8. . (Charlie Tripalo/AFP via Getty Images)
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Hostin gave Harris a clear opportunity to distinguish herself from Biden, but Harris instead effectively cut a Trump campaign ad by allowing it to be directly linked to an unpopular administration.
During vice presidential debate, Tim Walz says he's a 'friend of school shooters'
Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, raised eyebrows during his vice presidential debate with Sen. J.D. Vance, Republican of Ohio, on October 1. When announced He “became friends with the school shooters.”
The unfortunate incident occurred at an ill-timed moment when the governor of Minnesota was asked about changing positions on the assault weapons ban.
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, left, and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shake hands during their Oct. 1 debate. (Michelle Crowe/CBS via Getty Images)
“I sat in that office with my Sandy Hook parents. I became friends with the school shooters. I saw it,” Walz said.
Presumably, Walz meant that he became friendly with parents who lost their children during horrific school shootings.
Trump confuses Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi at New Hampshire rally
Trump seemed confused Nikki Haley, then-Republican presidential contender, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a rally in New Hampshire on January 20.
Speaking in Concord, Trump said Haley, his former ambassador to the United Nations, was responsible for the breakdown of security on Capitol Hill during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Trump had previously blamed Pelosi for refusing to support the National Guard before the riot.
“By the way, you know, they never reported on the crowd on January 6, you know, Nikki Haley. Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, you know, you know, they destroyed all the information and all the evidence. Everything. We deleted it and destroyed it all, because of a lot of Things, like Nikki Haley is in charge of security. We offered 10,000 people, soldiers, National Guard, so they turned that down and Trump said, “I don't want to talk about that. These are dishonest people.” “Very much.”
The authority of Harris' words confounds audiences
Harris has found herself in the news repeatedly this year for making confusing verbal statements.
“I grew up understanding that children of the community are children of the community, and we should all have a vested interest in ensuring that children can grow up with the resources they need to fulfill their God-given potential.” The vice president once said in September.
“We're here because we're fighting for democracy. We're fighting for democracy. We understand the difference here. We understand the difference here. We move forward. We move forward. We understand the difference here.” Then she said At a campaign event in November.
These statements sparked criticism and ridicule from conservatives online.
Biden introduces Ukraine's Zelensky as “President Putin” during NATO conference
President Biden mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky In the name of “President Putin” During the NATO conference in Washington, D.C., in July.
“And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has a certain amount of courage and determination,” Biden said before he began to leave the podium. “Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.”
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“He will defeat President Putin. President Zelensky. I am very focused on defeating Putin,” Biden said then, seeming to realize his verbal stumble. “We have to worry about that. Anyway, Mr. President.”
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