Camera Caught Biden Team's Reaction as He Called Trump His VP

President Joe Biden had his first major news conference post-debate on Thursday, but his performance did little to ease worries about his cognitive abilities.

Biden responded to questions from reporters at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, concluding a NATO summit.

As Biden’s mental lapses accumulated, cameras captured the reactions of key figures in his administration.

Notably, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin displayed noticeable changes during one of Biden’s most troubling moments of the evening.

The incident occurred when Biden was asked a straightforward question about his re-election campaign and his vice president, Kamala Harris.

“Mr. President, your political future has hung over the NATO summit a little bit this week,” began Jeff Mason from Reuters.

“[Former House] Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi suggested that your decision on whether to stay in the race was still open,” he said. “George Clooney and several lawmakers have called on you to step aside. Reuters is reporting tonight that UAW leadership is concerned about your ability to win. …

“How are you incorporating these developments into your decision to stay? And separately, what concerns do you have about Vice President Harris’ ability to beat Donald Trump if she were at the top of the ticket?”

Despite having just heard Harris’ name, Biden immediately began to falter.

“Look,” he said, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I thought she was not qualified to be president.”

Former President Donald Trump, of course, is Biden’s Republican opponent in the upcoming election and not his vice president.

One camera focused on key members of Biden's administration captured their reactions to the concerning error, and the subtle but telling changes in their expressions were revealing.

In the video, Sullivan had the most immediate reaction — he closed his eyes and slightly lowered his head.

Austin, seated next to Sullivan, maintained a stoic expression for most of the video, but a brief downward glance after the gaffe suggested the mistake affected him.

Jean-Pierre, positioned in the foreground and far left of the video, looked down and appeared to write something while Biden praised “Vice President Trump.”

Several others in the frame also had noticeable but composed reactions to Biden’s slip.

The idea of replacing Biden as the head of his party’s presidential ticket is being openly discussed by influential Democrats.

Sadly for Biden, Thursday’s incident is unlikely to stop the growing calls for his replacement.