Biden again reads speaking instructions in North Carolina remarks

President Biden on Thursday blurted out script instructions while speaking to a crowd in North Carolina, the second time he has done so in the past two weeks.

“We are detecting and removing so-called forever chemicals, referred to as PFAS. P dash FAS dash,” said Mr. Biden, 81.

Attendees at the speech in Wilmington did not react to the gaffe. Mr. Biden was visiting the city to announce $3 billion in federal funds to replace lead pipes, which can pose a health hazard.

It is not immediately clear if the typed instruction was included in Mr. Biden’s teleprompter or his prepared remarks.

Mr. Biden last month embarrassingly read his teleprompter instructions during a speech at a trade union conference in Washington.

Reading off a teleprompter, Mr. Biden delivered an awkward moment in the speech.

“Imagine what we could do next. Four more years, pause,” he said as the audience began chanting, “Four more years.”

Mr. Biden’s miscue Thursday quickly led to some online reactions ranging from mockery to concern. Several critics compared him to Ron Burgundy, Will Ferrell’s character in the movie “Anchorman,” who famously read everything put on cue cards.

“Joe ‘Ron Burgundy’ Biden,” wrote conservative commentator Steve Guest, who shared a clip of the gaffe.

One conservative critic wrote, “Teleprompter stumps Biden,” and linked to a video.