Biden Catches Himself After Harris’ Reaction to Californians’ Crisis Comment: ‘… No Pun Intended’

During an interview with USA Today on Wednesday, President Joe Biden hinted at the possibility of serving another term, though he admitted uncertainty about his own stamina for the role.

When asked if he could have triumphed over Republican President-elect Donald Trump, Biden replied, “It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes.” But would he have been able to serve until January 2029? His answer: “I don’t know. Who the hell knows?”

This admission adds another chapter to the ongoing tension between Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Neither managed to defeat Trump in a direct contest during the 2024 election, though only Harris had faced him in a ballot-box battle. That exchange was published Wednesday. By Thursday, Biden seemed to inadvertently provide an answer to his own uncertainty: most people already suspect the answer is “no,” and many think he struggles to handle the role now.

As of Thursday, wildfires in Southern California had claimed at least 10 lives, destroyed over 10,000 buildings, and scorched 33,000 acres, according to The Wall Street Journal. Around 360,000 people faced mandatory evacuations, and 200,000 households in the Los Angeles region were left without electricity.

These figures are expected to climb in the days ahead, just as doubts about Biden’s presidency continue to grow.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday alongside Vice President Harris, Biden addressed the devastating fires and federal efforts to support Californians. Harris, being a California native, had a personal connection to the tragedy. However, a moment of poor judgment during the briefing drew considerable attention.

Biden handed the floor to Harris, saying, “Madam Vice President, I know you’re directly affected, so fire away.”

The vice president’s visible dismay spoke volumes.

Realizing his blunder, Biden quickly added, “No pun intended,” prompting awkward laughter from the room.

Social media users quickly latched onto the incident, noting Biden repeated the same phrase multiple times during the briefing:

And indeed, throughout the 55-minute event, during which Biden spoke intermittently, the same unfortunate comment reportedly cropped up again and again:

Moments like these might invite sympathy if they didn’t so starkly highlight the president’s struggle for composure.

A Wall Street Journal report from last month revealed that Biden’s aides were compensating for such issues as early as 2021. A national security official reportedly explained at one point, “He has good days and bad days, and today was a bad day, so we’re moving this to tomorrow.”

This strategy unraveled publicly on June 27, 2024, when Biden faced Trump on stage and had what many described as a disastrous moment. Discussions of “cheap fakes” and “misinformation” around his mental acuity vanished, replaced by undeniable evidence of concern.

Nevertheless, Biden pressed on with his campaign—or rather, those orchestrating his moves did. When asked directly about his endurance, he candidly admitted, “Who the hell knows?” But perhaps the real message is: Who the hell cares? Decisions were being made by others anyway.

Even so, there are times when the president must take center stage. Thursday was one such moment, and in less than an hour, he managed to repeat a deeply inappropriate phrase four times—despite Harris’ visible unease as a stark reminder of how off-track his comments were.

With less than two weeks remaining in his presidency, it’s unclear if Biden’s “good days” still exist. What’s certain is his insistence that he could have pursued another term—a claim that feels like a mix of hypothetical musings and an implied warning.