US President Joe Biden was mocked by social media users for yet another gaffe while trying to share a website to stop fraud in his student debt handouts plan. While speaking about the website on Monday, Mr Biden spelled out the word "dot" in the website URL while reading off the teleprompter. In the past few months, the 79-year-old politician has been ridiculed several times by his critics and social media users for statements and gestures, which have been deemed inappropriate.
On Monday, he was launching the website for students to apply for debt relief and a related portal of Federal Trade Commission to help Americans report fraud when he stumbled.
"If you get any questionable calls, please tell us by going to report fraud ... report fraud, D-O-T, F-T-C, dot gov," Mr Biden said, while talking about reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Joe Biden spelled out D-O-T that's the . in an email address today. He really is Ron Burgandy. pic.twitter.com/e2LsosOTWG
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 17, 2022
The gaffe was soon picked up by social media users as the latest example of Mr Biden having trouble speaking in public.
"Can't make this up. They put the word 'dot' in the teleprompter and he literally got so confused he spelt it out instead of just saying 'dot,'" RNC Research rapid response director Tommy Pigott said on Twitter.
"Biden is so gone that he will literally read ANY WORDS they put on the teleprompter in front of him," comedian Tim Young tweeted.
The gaffe came as Mr Biden launched a portal where people earning less than $125,000 a year can apply to get up to $10,000 wiped from their debt.
Cancelling $10,000 in student loan debt for every borrower would cost the US government $321 billion, the New York Federal Reserve calculated in April, but the income cap means the actual cost will be lower than that.
The New York Fed estimated that forgiving $10,000 per borrower would eliminate student debt for 11.8 million borrowers, or 31% of the total number.
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