As they met in Washington, Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak praised the value of the US-UK special partnership.
But when the two joined forces for discussions about Ukraine, artificial intelligence, and economic cooperation, Mr. Biden made a foolish error and addressed Mr. Sunak as “Mr. President.”
The president instantly realised his error and made a joke about “promot[ing]” Mr. Sunak.
Well, Mr. President, I just elevated you, he remarked. Thank you for coming back, Mr. Prime Minister.
The prime minister laughed off the gaffe and it is his first time at the White House since becoming PM in October 2022.
On a more serious note, Mr Biden then said: ‘Together, we are providing economic and humanitarian aid and security systems to Ukraine in their fight against a brutal invasion from Russia. president said.
‘The global economy is undergoing the greatest transformation that has occurred since the industrial revolution,’ he added.
Mr Biden then made another joke and told the PM: ‘We’re going solve all the problems of the world in the next 20 minutes.’
Mr Sunak blown away by the grandeur of the White House said: ‘It’s daunting to think of the conversations that our predecessors had in this room when they had to speak of wars that they fought together, peace won together, incredible change in the lives of our citizens.
‘And again, for the first time in over half-a-century, we face a war on the European continent.
‘And as we’ve done before, the US and the UK, have stood together to support Ukraine and stand up for the values of democracy and freedom and make sure that they prevail, as I know we will.
‘But also I completely agree with what you said, our economies are seeing perhaps the biggest transformation since the industrial revolution, as new technologies provide incredible opportunities, but also give our adversaries more tools for harm.’
Mr Sunak also announced the UK would host the first-ever AI summit in autumn in a bid to mitigate the risks of emerging technology.
This is not the first time the president has fumbled his words.
During his visit to 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.
He’s also not been so supportive about the special relationship in the past, claiming he visited the island of Ireland to ensure the ‘Brits didn’t screw around’ amid ongoing concern over the peace process and the impact of Brexit.