U.S. President Joe Biden stated Thursday that he likes "babies better than people" and then picked one up for a cuddle, as White House officials hurried to remedy his error the day before when he pledged to disarm "domestic political advisers."
During a celebration of the 13th anniversary of the ObamaCare health reform law in the East Room, the 80-year-old president made a distinction between babyhood and personhood.
"It's OK, it's all right," Biden said as an infant wailed during his speech, adding, "In fact, I like babies better than people."
After speaking, Biden held the baby who was the source of the noise, New York Post reported.
During a Women's History Month event on Wednesday in the same location, Biden mistakenly said he wanted to "keep guns out of the hands of domestic political advisers."
He meant to say "convicted domestic abusers," as White House stenographers clarified in an official transcript.
The clarification was issued by the press office only moments before Biden took the stage at the ObamaCare event.
In his speech on Thursday, President Joe Biden also mentioned that he and former President Barack Obama "did a little thing together" the day before, although he did not elaborate.
"I talked to the president yesterday. I got a chance to speak with him. We did a little thing together and it's an extraordinary achievement by President Obama," Biden said.
"And while the Affordable Care Act has been called a lot of things, ObamaCare is the most fitting description," he added.
Biden is preparing to launch a 2024 re-election campaign. He's already the oldest-ever U.S. president and would be 86 if he completes a full second term.
Recent polls show aging leaders are a concern for Americans in general and Biden's age in particular worries Democratic voters. But the president's aides are shrugging off polls showing doubts about his age as irrelevant at this stage of the race.
Marianne Williamson, the self-help guru who warned of the "dark psychic force" unleashed by Republican President Donald Trump, launched a presidential bid for 2024 on Mar. 4, calling for "justice and love."
On the Republican side, Trump is seeking a second term, and a set of would-be challengers are laying the groundwork for their campaigns.
Biden's public approval rating was just 41% in a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll last month.
That is close to the lowest level of his presidency, though similar to where Trump was at the same time in his administration.
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