Biden appears to conflate Taylor Swift, Britney Spears in Thanksgiving gaffe

President Joe Biden on Monday appeared to mix up pop stars Britney Spears and Taylor Swift in an attempt at a joke during the president's annual turkey pardoning event.

Every year, the president issues a ceremonial pardon to a turkey ahead of the national holiday in which Americans traditionally dine on the bird. This year, Biden issued pardons to turkeys "Liberty" and "Bell."

During the event, however, Biden's propensity for misspeaking stole the show as he attempted to crack a joke about the statistical odds of the turkeys receiving a presidential pardon.

"Just to get here, Liberty and Bell had to beat some tough odds — the competition," he said, according to the New York Post. "They had to work hard, to show patience, and be willing to travel over 1,000 miles. You could say, even, this is harder than getting a ticket to the Renaissance tour or, or, or Britney’s tour. She’s down in, it’s kinda warm in Brazil right now."

Biden appeared to erroneously refer to Britney Spears, who achieved popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Taylor Swift, however, is currently in Brazil on her "Eras" tour. Demand for tickets to her performances has driven prices up to the point of making headlines. Beyoncé embarked on a "Renaissance" tour earlier this year. 

The president's penchant for telling bizarre anecdotes and making awkward gaffes has prompted persistent speculation as to his mental fitness for office. He has, however, shrugged off such concerns and insisted he plans to pursue reelection in 2024.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.