Last night during the State of the Union address, Joe Biden began to address one of the guests brought by his wife, Jill Biden. That guest was the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova. In doing so, Biden said:
Tonight…we’re once again joined by Ukrainian’s ambassador to the United States. She represents not just her nation, but the courage of her people. Ambassador… <garbled followed by awkward pause> our ambassador is here. We’re <slurred> united in our support of your country. Would you stand so that we could all take a look at you?”
The statement doesn’t do the awkwardness of the delivery any justice. Biden is lost. He either can’t pronounce her name or he completely forgot it after one year of war with our ‘greatest adversary’ Russia and over $100 billion of taxpayer funding for something that may likely draw the US into a potential World War III scenario.
CNN knew ahead of time that this was Jill Biden’s guest. They knew her name. But no one briefed Joe on how to pronounce names? Afterall, earlier on in the night, he called Tyre Nichols “Tyler” with his widowed parents present.
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Is Markarova a difficult name to read off the teleprompter? Oksana Markarova. Pronounced just like its spelled.
Ambassador Markarova looks a little taken aback but whatever it was he mumbled. It certainly wasn’t her name.
Perhaps the comforting rubs of Paul Pelosi, seated to her right, made her more comfortable.
Joe goes on to say:
“Because we’re gonna stand with you!”
Whoever you are…
“As long as it takes!”
Maybe at the next SOTU, and another $100 billion to Ukraine, he’ll remember the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States’ name.