The author of a new book about Joe Biden’s first two years in the White House claims the president “fumed” about members of his staff last year after he seemingly called for regime change in Russia.
Biden made international headlines for the comment following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
During a March 2022 speech in Poland, Biden implied that Putin needed to be removed from office.
“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said.
After the controversial comment was interpreted by many as a call for regime change, the Biden administration quickly walked it back.
“The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region,” the White House said in a statement. “He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.”
As CNN noted at the time, “The line was not in Biden’s prepared remarks.”
According to a new book by Frank Foer of The Atlantic, Biden lashed out at his aides after he spoke off the cuff.
Foer says in “The Last Politician” that Biden was upset that his staff had to do damage control amid the trip he took to oppose Russia’s invasion.
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“After delivering the speech that might have earned him the credit he deserved and craved, his improvisation became the headline,” Foer wrote in an excerpt obtained by Axios.
The author added, ”Biden instantly knew that the White House would have to clarify his mistake. By the time Biden piled into the motorcade … his aides had released a statement walking back his sentence.”
“Biden left for home, ending his triumphalist tour, feeling sorry for himself,” Foer wrote. “He knew that he had erred, but then resented his aides for creating the impression that they had cleaned up his mess.”
But the saga wasn’t over there as Biden complained about how he was being “babied.”
“Rather than owning his failure, he fumed to his friends about how he was treated like a toddler,” Foer wrote. “Was John Kennedy ever babied like that?“
“The Last Politician” will be released on Tuesday.
