Joe Biden gave up trying to pronounce a tech company’s name after stumbling at a speech to CEOs on Thursday.
The US president addressed chief executives at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, where he attempted to read a list of tech companies from a teleprompter.
His speech was cut off as he tried to pronounce the name of a company, before giving up and admitting: “It’s better to not try.”
“Here in this world, this world-renowned hub of innovation, so many tech companies like Anthropic and…I’m gonna mispronounce,” he said.
“I’m not going to even try. It’s better to not try, and not mispronounce, than try and mispronounce.”
Members of the audience laughed as Mr Biden smiled and continued with his speech.
“The point is, small and medium-sized businesses and start-ups are getting into action as well.”
Mr Biden, who had a speech impediment as a child, has become famous for trip-ups and gaffes in his speeches.
President plays down inflation rise
In his address to the summit on Thursday, the president acknowledged the US’s recent inflation figures, which show prices rose by 3.2 per cent in the year to October – the smallest annual increase since June.
“Unemployment has been under 4 per cent for 21 straight months, inflation has come down by 65 per cent,” he said.
“There is more to do. We now have the lowest inflation rate of any advanced economy in the world. Meanwhile, median household wealth has grown by 37 per cent in real terms, since before the pandemic.”
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
