In Context: Did Joe Biden confuse Donald Trump with George W. Bush?

Social media users are sharing a 30-second clip of Joe Biden, saying that it shows him mixing up President Donald Trump with George W. Bush. 

In the clip, Biden says "George" while discussing the significance of the upcoming election, which some viewers took as an allusion to former President George W. Bush.

The clip was shared on Twitter by Republican National Committee rapid response director Steve Guest, who used it to attack Biden’s mental acuity. The next day, media outlets including Fox News, Sky News, and the Today Show published stories on Biden’s comments, and Trump tweeted about it.

Some reporters, however, pointed out that Biden could have been referring to his interviewer, comedian George Lopez. 

The clip comes from an Oct. 25 Biden campaign event featuring many celebrities. During an interview with Joe and Jill Biden, Lopez asks the Democratic nominee to explain to undecided voters why they should vote in the upcoming election. Biden stumbled over his words at one point of his pitch. However, it’s difficult to determine whether he was addressing his interviewer or making a verbal flub that he corrected.

Here’s a transcript of the exchange, in context:

George Lopez: "So, so, you know that 50 million people have already voted, which I think is inspiring for the country. You know, Joe, there’s gonna be eight days left, they wanted me to ask you, I want to know, like if someone is undecided or maybe… maybe thinking about not voting, why should they vote and why should they vote for you?" 

Joe Biden: "Well, first of all, the reason they should vote is that there’s a lot on the ballot this year. I mean, this is the most consequential… Not because I’m running but because of who I’m running against. This is the most consequential election in a long, long, long time. And the character of the country in my view is literally on the ballot, what kind of country are we going to be. Four more years of George uh… George, we’re going to find ourselves in a position where if Trump gets elected, we are going to be in a different world. And so… The reason I think people should be voting is out of their own self-interest right now, because look, you know, everything is at stake from the environment to our health. You heard what his, his, his chief of staff —"

Jill Biden: "Climate change."

Joe Biden: "That’s what I’m talking about, the environment, climate change. The whole notion that you know, our country’s at an inflection point. The way every single one of us votes right now is going to determine the future for a long time. Not just for four years but well beyond that. And all these crises we’re seeing today. All the chaos, this hardship and suffering. It didn’t have to be this way. All this anger, division, and hate. You know in your bones, this is not who we are. Together we can change this. We’re the United States of America. Character counts, truth matters. Hard work, having a plan to bring people together to get things done is the only way forward in my opinion. It’s how hard-working people across the country have always lived their lives. It’s how we come out of these hard times. Now, as a nation. Beating the virus… We can create millions of jobs, we can build back a lot better than we are, than we have been. I’m running to unite the country, bottom line."