“This Companion Below”: Biden Forgets Australian Prime Minister’s Name in Security Alliance Announcement

The collection of verbal slips of the president of the United States, Joe Biden, has been enriched. Thus, this Wednesday the tenant of the White House apparently forgot the name of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, while both leaders together with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the creation of the AUKUS security alliance that seeks to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Thank you Boris, and I want to thank this fellow below. Thank you very much, friend! I appreciate it, Prime Minister,” Biden said during a virtual press conference.

Networks save everything

Although the president later addressed Morrison by name, Twitter users did not let that moment go unnoticed. “AUKUS starts well”, commented one with sarcasm.

“This is devastating to our national psyche. Our cultural shame has just tripled,” wrote journalist Matt Bevan.

“Without a doubt, ‘this fellow downstairs'” is the equivalent of meeting someone at the bar, whose name you don’t remember and the only thing you can think of is “Friend”, tweeted a netizen.

“If Biden accidentally forgot Morrison’s name, it’s terrible for Morrison. If Biden deliberately forgot Morrison’s name, that’s terrible for Morrison,” another noted.

“Joe asleep”, said a netizen, claiming a kind of nickname that former US President Donald Trump gave Biden on several occasions.