Internet aghast after Joe Biden botches attempt to quote Lincoln before cracking jokes about his own age

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden, 81, faced criticism after struggling to deliver a speech at the Governors Ball Dinner, where he attempted to quote Abraham Lincoln but stumbled over his words.

The incident occurred on Saturday, February 24, as Biden addressed a crowd of state leaders, highlighting the challenges of a divided nation.

Joe Biden's attempt to quote Abraham Lincoln goes wrong

"Standing here in front of this portrait of the man behind me," Biden began in front of a portrait of Lincoln. "I want to make sure I get the quote exactly right," he said before proceeding to butcher reciting Lincoln's famous words.

"He said, 'We - the better angels' - he said, 'We must address the counsel - and adjust the better angels of our nature.' And we do the - and we do well to remember what else he said. He said, 'We’re not enemies, but [we’re] friends.' This is in the middle of - this is in the - in the part of the Civil War. He said, 'We’re not enemies, but [we’re] friends. We must not be enemies,'" said the commander-in-chief before a silent audience.

According to the Daily Mail, Biden was referring to one of the most famous quotations from Lincoln's first inaugural address in March of 1861.

"I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature," Lincoln reportedly said on March 4, 1861.

Biden's reference to Lincoln's sentiment "in the middle of" the Civil War era raised eyebrows, as the war began over a month after Lincoln's initial address. However, following the awkward recitation, Biden attempted to lighten the mood with a self-deprecating joke about his age, garnering tepid laughter from the audience.

"Folks - and I’ve been around. I know I don’t look it. I’ve been around a long while though," he said. "And I mean this sincerely, we’ve gotten - politics has gotten too bitter - Democrats and Republicans. Politics has gotten too personal - and it just is - it’s just not like it was."

Joe Biden slammed for botching Abraham Lincoln's iconic lines 

However, the social media sphere was less forgiving, with many users mocking the president's performance and questioning his ability to lead.

"The daily dose of cringe," one posted on X.

"Good God," another wrote.

"Landed that as horribly as humanly possible, yet he seems satisfied," someone else added.

"Nobody will be quoting Biden in the future," a comment read.

"Thanks Delaware for voting for this clown all these years," another quipped.

Concerns over Joe Biden's age and fitness for office

The incident fueled broader discussions about Biden's age and fitness for office, with a recent poll indicating widespread concerns among American voters.

According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll, 86 per cent of respondents believe Biden, at 81, is too old for another term, mirroring similar sentiments regarding former President Donald Trump, 77. The poll revealed bipartisan agreement on the issue, with 59 per cent of respondents viewing both candidates as too old for the presidency.

However, the poll highlighted discrepancies within party lines, with 73 per cent of Democrats expressing concerns about Biden's age compared to 35 percent of Republicans regarding Trump. Independents overwhelmingly voiced reservations about Biden's age, with 91 per cent deeming him unfit for another term.

The poll results coincide with a recent Department of Justice report citing Biden's "poor memory" and "diminished facilities," raising questions about his cognitive abilities and capacity to serve effectively.

The report, which concluded that charges would not be recommended in a classified documents case involving Biden, further fueled speculation about his fitness for office. 

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