Joe Biden mistakenly calls Rishi Sunak ‘Mr President’ in embarrassing gaffe

Joe Biden was confused over Rishi Sunak’s title when the pair met in the White House by welcoming him as “Mr President” in an embarrassing gaffe. The US President swiftly corrected himself, joking he had “promoted” Mr Sunak. Mr Biden, 80, seated across from Mr Sunak for the bilateral meeting, said: “Well, Mr President – Mr President, I just promoted you. Mr Prime Minister, it’s great to have you back.”

Mr Sunak, who laughed off the mistake, has not been to the White House before as prime minister, having only taken office in October.

Mr Biden told him: “In the past few months we have met each other in San Diego and then we met in Belfast and we met in Hiroshima.

“And now we’re here we’re going solve all the problems of the world in the next 20 minutes.”

This is not the first time the US President has appeared to fumble his words.

During his visit to the Republic of Ireland in April, Mr Biden appeared to confuse the name of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team with the Black and Tans – a controversial War of Independence-era police force in Ireland.