ANALYSIS: The Joe Biden Presidency is morphing into a slow-motion freak show, and we are all watching

We shouldn’t be seeing this.

Twice on Friday, US President Joe Biden made two disastrous gaffes, wrongly calling his friends the names of his foes.

The 81-year-old praised Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was standing next to him for the announcement of the Ukraine Pact at the NATO summit, but as he handed over to him to speak, called him President Putin.

Realising his mistake, Biden tried to laugh it off by joking that he’d mixed up the name of his enemy with the valiant Ukrainian because he was so preoccupied with defeating the Russian leader.

Zelensky was deft and gracious, joking to Biden that: “I’m better.”

Many NATO leaders standing to the side nervously clapped the encounter. Others, like the forthright, eye-rolling and expressive Georgia Meloni, who leads Italy’s right-wing government, didn’t even bother with applause.

Neither did Germany’s Olaf Scholz, who diplomatically laughed as Biden sought to clean up his mistake.

A one-off gaffe in this climate was already diabolical for the President, who is facing more and more calls to quit and hand over to someone younger and capable, following his disastrous debate appearance which exposed the level of his mental decline.

But Biden compounded every single fear when he immediately followed up with a second clanger when he emerged for his press conference that was billed as a do-or-die moment to prove that he is cognitively fit to continue as President until he is 85 years old.

Gaffe number two came right after the first question which was asked by a Reuters journalist, who referred to the clamour of leading Democratic figures — including Hollywood actor and donor George Clooney that he step down — and asked what concerns Biden might hold about his VP, Kamala Harris’ ability to defeat Trump.

“I wouldn’t have picked Vice-President Trump to be Vice-President if I think she’s not qualified to be President, let’s start there, number one,” Biden responded.

“The fact is, that the consideration is that I think I’m the most qualified person to run for President, I beat him once and I will beat him again.”

He insisted that he would only quit if he was shown data that he couldn’t possibly win and began giving answers whispering into his microphone.

“I’ve got to finish this job because there’s so much at stake,” he said.

When asked about the damage his noticeable decline was doing to America’s standing, he tried to laugh it off.

“Did you see any damage to our standing in my leading of this conference?” he said, referring to the NATO summit which delivered real and meaningful security outcomes to Ukraine, although stopped short of offering the country an invitation to join the military defensive alliance.

Unfortunately Mr President, yes we did.

Have you noticed that Trump, never shy of firing off tweets and holding hours-long rallies has been far more restrained lately?

“Great job, Joe!” Trump said on social media, sarcastically after the Kamala stuff up.

For once, the bombastic showman and insulter-in-chief has learned the art of restraint and leaving Biden’s stumbles to speak for themselves.

It is now obvious that there is a correlation between Biden’s arrogance that only he can defeat Trump and the very public decline in his performance.

Biden is right to note his achievements which he lists as including a well-performing US economy, creating homegrown advanced manufacturing jobs, and success at forging overseas alliances like AUKUS and the trilateral with Korea and Japan to combat China.

He has a great legacy to leave beginning with the 2020 defeat of Trump who took the loss so badly he allegedly tried to overturn the result and is accused of encouraging a violent and deadly mob to overrun the US Capitol to stop the transfer of power.

If we are to believe Biden and the Democrats, US democracy, as well as basic civil and women’s rights, like abortion, are at total risk if Trump wins again.

But Biden, capable of recognising what is at stake if Trump regains power, has become so deluded, so drunk on power, narcissism and his seeming belief that he alone is God-sent to defeat Trump, that he won’t accept what is obvious — that he cannot present to the American people seeking a second go, when every time he opens his mouth is a heart-stopping moment for his supporters.

The Biden Presidency is morphing into a slow-motion international freak show, and we are all an audience to this American vaudeville.

It is a tragedy that Biden’s loved ones are willing to subject his obvious deterioration to the world just as it is humiliating for the President personally.

As he concluded his hour-long press conference, he was asked about his Kamala-Trump mix-up and the fact that Trump was already mocking him.

“Listen to him,” he said, as he walked off. It was a bizarre, possibly final act from the octogenarian who still has time to exit with dignity and leave his legacy intact if only his ego would let him.