--- title: Vice President Joe Biden, Known for Gaffes, Has Five Gaffes This Week description: Joe Biden, known for his verbal gaffes, has had a tough week canonical: https://time.com/3404250/joe-biden-gaffe/ author: Jay Newton-Small article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-09-19T17:44:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T10:18:33.313Z article:section: Politics og:title: Vice President Joe Biden, Known for Gaffes, Has Five Gaffes This Week og:description: Joe Biden, known for his verbal gaffes, has had a tough week og:url: https://time.com/3404250/joe-biden-gaffe/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5cf1667238e943d5/6986a46435ba6fcdfec03eb0/joe-biden-gaffe.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: Vice President Joe Biden Gaffes og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Vice President Joe Biden, Known for Gaffes, Has Five Gaffes This Week twitter:description: Joe Biden, known for his verbal gaffes, has had a tough week twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5cf1667238e943d5/6986a46435ba6fcdfec03eb0/joe-biden-gaffe.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Joe Biden’s Gaffe-Ridden Week > Sponsored content. 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It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=2bdbbc48-4c5f-4ff6-801c-bab15a45e41c&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Jay Newton-Small](https://time.com/author/jay-newton-small/)  ## Jay Newton-Small Sep 19, 2014 5:44 PM UTC  Vice-President Joe Biden looks on during a bilateral meeting between President Obama and President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Sept. 18, 2014. Vice-President Joe Biden looks on during a bilateral meeting between President Obama and President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Sept. 18, 2014. Olivier Douliery—Corbis  by [Jay Newton-Small](https://time.com/author/jay-newton-small/)  ## Jay Newton-Small Sep 19, 2014 5:44 PM UTC Speaking at the Democratic Women’s Leadership Forum, Vice President Joe Biden on Friday praised former Sen. Bob Packwood, who resigned in 1995 after 19 women accused him of sexual harassment and assault. Err, awkward! “It was Republicans that expanded access to the polls. It was Republicans in the judiciary committee that did motor voter,” Biden said in arguing that the GOP has moved to the political fringe. “It’s Republicans that were involved. Guys like Mack Mathias and \[Bob\] Packwood and many others. It wasn’t Democrats alone.” Biden’s remarks capped a rough week. On Wednesday, [he called](https://owa.timeinc.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=NK1J6dpaS0Og3azUSBxv64Fq6FGxp9EIW5y6ePVbfiqappb0PTXH%5FWQ3jqv-sqd0NyPQzp1oByM.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.cnn.com%2f2014%2f09%2f17%2fpolitics%2fjoe-biden-jewish-term%2f) lenders of bad loans to people serving in the military “Shylocks,” a derogatory name for Jews, earning him [a rebuke](https://owa.timeinc.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=NK1J6dpaS0Og3azUSBxv64Fq6FGxp9EIW5y6ePVbfiqappb0PTXH%5FWQ3jqv-sqd0NyPQzp1oByM.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.cnn.com%2f2014%2f09%2f17%2fpolitics%2fjoe-biden-jewish-term%2f) form the Anti-Defamation League. Also, this week, Biden [referred to](https://owa.timeinc.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=NK1J6dpaS0Og3azUSBxv64Fq6FGxp9EIW5y6ePVbfiqappb0PTXH%5FWQ3jqv-sqd0NyPQzp1oByM.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.washingtonpost.com%2fblogs%2fpost-politics%2fwp%2f2014%2f09%2f17%2fjoe-biden-pulls-off-a-gaffe-hat-trick%2f) the First Prime Minister of Singapore as “the Wisest Man in the Orient,” an antiquated word deemed offensive by many Asians. And at an event in Iowa, Biden [seemed to leave](https://owa.timeinc.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=NK1J6dpaS0Og3azUSBxv64Fq6FGxp9EIW5y6ePVbfiqappb0PTXH%5FWQ3jqv-sqd0NyPQzp1oByM.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.washingtonpost.com%2fblogs%2fpost-politics%2fwp%2f2014%2f09%2f17%2fjoe-biden-pulls-off-a-gaffe-hat-trick%2f) the door open for ground troops in Iraq to fight the militant group ISIS, a day after President Barack Obama specifically rejected such an option. Of course, Biden has long history of gaffes, but as Vice President he’s generally reined in his verbosity. But five in a week is a lot, even for him. 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