Biden kicks off his Cambodia summit by referring to the host prime minister as the head of 'COLOMBIA' after making him wait several minutes for a photo, then calls ASEAN nations meeting in Phnom Penh the 'heart of my Indo-Pacific strategy'
President Joe Biden committed the first gaffe of his trip to Asia
Saturday within the first seconds of his opening remarks, when he
mistakenly referred to his Cambodian host as the head of Colombia.
Biden spoke seconds after Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the
country for 37 years and is using the ASEAN summit as a showcase for his
nation.
I want to thank the prime minister of Colombia for his leadership as
ASEAN chair,' Biden said at the top of his remarks, stumbling over the
word and moving on without correcting it.
Biden, 79, sounded subdued as he read his remarks from a script.
It was his first public speech of the event, after a marathon journey that consisted of two long-haul flights and a three-hour stopover in Egypt.
Upon arrival, Biden went via motorcade to his luxury hotel. He was down
for several hours, with his first stop in a hotel since departing
Washington late Thursday night.
