Which cabinet member did Biden refer to as ‘the guy who runs that outfit over there’?

Which cabinet member did Biden refer to as ‘the guy who runs that outfit over there’?
CNN interview with Jake Tapper and Kamala Harris, 3 Dec 2020. CNN video, YouTube

Credit Joe Biden with a twofer. During brief remarks yesterday in which he thanked Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for recommending two women for a promotion, he not only forgot the general’s name but the name of the building where he works — you know, the whatchamacallit that’s shaped like that thingamabob that has five sides.

As if this weren’t humiliatingly enough, Austin was standing only a few feet away from him at the time. Take a look.

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Biden: It’s my great honor to serve as your commander-in-chief, and I look forward to hearing your active duty [sic] and recommendations of how we can work together to keep the American people safe and meet every challenge in the 21st century. So I want to thank you both and I want to thank the former general, I keep calling him general, my — the guy who runs that outfit over there, I want to make sure we thank the Secretary for all he’s done to try to implement what we just talked about and for recommending these two women for promotion. Thank you all. May God bless you all and may God protect our troops. [inaudible] Thank you everybody.

At least Austin can take some comfort in the fact he is in rarefied company. While on the campaign trail, Biden couldn’t remember Barack Obama’s name either, referring to him on one occasion as “President [awkward pause] the last guy” and on another as “President [awkward pause] my boss.” (RELATED: Biden has one of his most ‘senior’ moments yet)

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

His memory failed him again in January when he was stumping for the two Democrats from Georgia vying for Senate seats in a runoff election, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. He could remember Ossoff’s first name only and Warnock’s sometime role as a clergyman, dubbing the duo as “Jon and the reverend.”

Ben Bowles

Ben Bowles

Ben Bowles is a freelance writer and regular contributor to "Liberty Unyielding."

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