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WATCH: Biden Says Putin Is 'Losing the War in Iraq'

June 28, 2023

President Joe Biden on Wednesday puzzled reporters when he told them Russian president Vladimir Putin is "losing the war in Iraq."

"It's hard to tell but he's clearly losing the war in Iraq, losing the war at home," Biden said on the South Lawn before boarding Marine One to travel to Chicago for a speech and fundraiser.

Biden added that Putin "has become a bit of a pariah around the world."

Biden was responding to a question on Putin's status following the brief mutiny this weekend by Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Putin is working to reassert his authority following the short-lived rebellion as Russia continues to wage its invasion of Ukraine.

It's not the first time Biden has mistaken the war in Ukraine for a conflict in Iraq. In November, Biden said "inflation is a worldwide problem right now because of the war in Iraq."

That same month, he confused the city of Kherson in Ukraine for the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

Biden's gaffes have become a concern for Democrats. He faces the lowest support among his own party of any modern president seeking a second term, with Democrats pointing to his mental and physical ailments.