Politics

You Need To Watch Joe Biden Calling ScoMo “That Fella Down Under” After Forgetting His Name

Move over 'Scotty From Marketing', we have 'That Fella Down Under' now.

by Michelle Rennex  16 September 2021
Scott Morrison Joe Biden Fella From Down Under AUKUS

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Is there anything in the world more embarrassing than knowing that someone you’re talking to has forgotten your name? Yes, there is: when that someone is Joe Biden and you are the literal Prime Minister of Australia.

Sadly for Scott Morrison, the President of the United States definitely forgot his name while announcing the new AUKUS defence pact between the US, UK and Australia this morning — an alliance with goals to secure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region by combatting potential threats coming from China.

In a press conference to announce the new tri-lateral alliance — that will see Australia use American and British technology to build a new wave of nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide (and thankfully NOT nuclear weapons) — Biden gave his thanks to the leaders of Australia and the UK for their cooperation in the “historic step”.

But while UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson got a shoutout by name, ScoMo was left with the new nickname “that fella Down Under” as Biden totally blanked on the name of the leader he was doing a deal with.

“Thank you Boris, and I want to thank that fella Down Under,” Biden said during the AUKUS announcement. “Thank you very much, pal! Appreciate it, Mr Prime Minister.”

In response, Morrison smiled and gave a weak thumbs-up back.

While the US President quickly noticed his mistake and jumped to address Morrison by name after his “pal” line, the damage had already been done.

In a slip-up that was somehow worse than Malcolm Turnbull being called Trumble back in 2017, some even speculated that Biden conveniently “forgetting” ScoMo’s name was no accident at all considering he likely would’ve had a teleprompter and notes in front of him.

But it didn’t really matter. As Australia’s favourite pastime is dunking on our Prime Minister, people were already ditching ‘Scotty From Marketing’ in favour of the new iconic nickname, “that fella Down Under”.

I hate to say it but thank you for this gem, Joe Biden.