President Joe Biden appeared to have a “Ron Burgundy” moment on Tuesday while reading a speech about gas prices off a teleprompter.
Biden was compared to the fictional newscaster from the movie “Anchorman” when he recited the words “end of quote” after referencing a statement from the CEO of Walmart.
“And, by the way, you may have heard the CEO of Walmart yesterday on the steps we’ve taken. He said, and I quote, ‘The combination of private enterprise and government working together has been really successful,’” Biden said in the speech.
“He went on to say, “All the way through the supply chain, there’s… a lot of innovation.” Because of the actions we’ve taken, things have begun to change. End of quote.”
The president then moved on to the next sentence.
The faux pas received a comical reaction on social media where fans of the slapstick news comedy made the comparison. The character, played by Will Ferrell, is infamous for reciting every word on the teleprompter exactly how it appears.
“Biden goes full Ron Burgundy with the teleprompter. ?” wrote user D Simms.
Another mockingly called Biden “President Ron Burgundy.”
But some thought the “anchorman” routine was a good fit for the commander-in-chief.
“I don’t see the problem with Ron Burgundy being the President,” one person wrote.
The possible malfunction seemed to evoke another communication breakdown in August when Biden’s microphone was cut off after a reporter asked a question about Americans stranded in Afghanistan.
During another press conference in March, Biden was speaking at a House Democratic Caucus event when the microphone was cut off right after the president told reporters he was “happy to take questions.”