This is why competence matters, America.
Iranian-backed militias targeted U.S. forces in Jordan on Sunday, killing three American troops and wounding at least 34 others, according to CNN. The number of wounded is expected to rise.
U.S. Central Command announced the deaths in a terse statement, using the Pentagon acronym of UAS for “unmanned aircraft system” — a drone.
“On Jan. 28, three U.S. service members were killed and 25 injured from a one-way attack UAS that impacted at a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border,” the statement said.
“As a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with DoD policy, the identities of the servicemembers will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
“Updates will be provided as they become available.
On Sunday, campaigning in South Carolina, the president of the United States had tough talk for the militants who attacked the base, which marked the first time American servicemembers have been killed by a drone attack in Middle East after months of attempts by groups linked to Tehran.
“We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases,” Biden said, according to Politico.
“And we shall respond,” the president added.
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That was on Sunday.
On Saturday night, the U.S. president apparently couldn’t remember who the U.S. president was.
The latest gaffe — gaffes that are no longer just waved away with the swish of a hand and talk of a childhood stutter, even in a simpatico establishment media — came as the president was trying to ensure an overwhelming victory in South Carolina’s primary this coming Saturday. (Other candidates on the Democratic primary ballot are Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and spiritual guru Marianne Williamson.)
In a speech in Columbia, Biden said former President Donald Trump wanted economic collapse so that he could win. Or rather, Biden was supposed to say that.
Last night, Biden referred to President Trump as the “sitting president” pic.twitter.com/X1cMTsQrsN
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 28, 2024
“Did you see what he recently said about that wants to — that he wants to see the economy crash this year? A sitting president,” Biden said.
“As they say in my faith, ‘Bless me, Father, for…’ — I mean, come on, man.”
Yeah, come on, man. Corn Pop was a bad dude. I knew this Amtrak constructor — I mean, conductor — he comes up to me, he says, “Joey, baby…”
At this point, you’re half-surprised that the president’s handlers didn’t just tackle the guy and get him offstage ASAP. But the muscle team apparently wasn’t ready, so they sent in the second line of defense at the Biden White House: The stenographers.
Official transcript: pic.twitter.com/Uenp84Le3H
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 28, 2024
Yep, there we have it: “Did you see what he recently said about that wants to — that he wants to see the economy crash this year? A sitting [former] President. As they say in my faith, “Bless me, Father, for…” — (the President begins to makes the sign of the cross). I mean, come on, man. (Laughter.)”
Now, here’s the thing: Jordan time is eight hours ahead of South Carolina. The CENTCOM statement doesn’t specify what time the attack took place on the American outpost known as Tower 22, but it was overnight, meaning it was in the early morning hours in Jordan, or Saturday evening on the East Coast.
Biden began speaking at 7:37 p.m., according to the White House transcript.
That means he was confusing another man for being the “sitting” president of the United States either shortly before, during or immediately after a deadly attack on the U.S. military he’s supposed to be commanding.
It was the same day, in any case. And it was not the kind of day Americans want their president to be confused.
This isn’t the only time the transcript-wranglers have had to decipher a gaffe so preposterous that my thesaurus is running out of synonyms for “senile” and “geriatric.” (As much as I like the word, one can only use “senescent” so many times before the reader starts to catch on.)
Take whatever this was, delivered the day before at the Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin:
JUST IN: President Biden sounds like he is speaking a different language while giving a speech at the Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin.
Don’t worry… The media has assured us that he is sharper than ever!
“The beer brewed here. It is used to make the brewed beer.… pic.twitter.com/UeJ3zf2ZXX
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 25, 2024
This is how the transcript people tried to make that work: “And, by the way, it used to make the beer brewed here — (laughs) — it is used to make the brewed beer here in this refine- — oh, Earth Rider, thanks for the Great Lakes. I wondered why (inaudible) — (laughter).”
Now, these moments, in the moment, are funny. Uncle Joe is senile, senescent, doddery, forgetful, outré, amnesic — OK, my thesaurus just slapped me across the face, so I’m assuming it’s telling me you get the point. Ha ha. Hee-larious. Biden’s gonna Biden!
However, the presidency isn’t a sitcom.
What did Biden say on Sunday about the attack that killed three service members? “We shall respond.”
But respond to whom? Here he got a bit doddery, as well, although it’s unclear whether he was being deliberately vague or simply didn’t know: “We know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” he said.
There are no shortage of groups in the Middle East seeking to target us, may I add. Houthi rebel groups, which are mostly based in Yemen, have practically shut down shipping in the Suez Canal.
Hezbollah and its offshoots might be a more likely culprit. There’s certainly no shortage of U.S. adversaries that think, and perhaps not wrongly, that the time to take their shot at America is while it’s led by a man who can’t even remember that he’s president and when the secretary of defense goes AWOL for a week for a medical emergency without informing anyone, including the president.
“[H]ave no doubt – we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing,” Biden promised those in South Carolina.
Will we really, Mr. President? Or will that be another quote that the transcript doctors will have to cross out later on?
This is why competence matters. And this is a day Americans need to remember.
