Biden says 'nobody believes' he was 'talking about taking down Putin'

President Biden said during a press conference Monday that "nobody believes" he was actually calling for regime change in a speech he delivered in Warsaw on Saturday.
"For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power," Biden said of Russian President Vladimir Putin toward the end of his speech. The White House quickly walked back the ad-libbed statement, claiming Biden's "point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region."
Key NATO allies quickly distanced themselves from Biden's remark, while Ukrainians welcomed them.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Biden said Monday he is "not walking anything back," and was "expressing the moral outrage I felt" toward Putin and his "brutality" in Ukraine. "But I want to make it clear, I wasn't then nor am I now articulating a policy change," he added. "I was expressing the moral outrage that I feel, and I make no apologies for it."
"Whether those are your personal feelings or your feelings as president, do you understand why people would believe you ... saying someone 'cannot remain in power' is a statement of U.S. policy?" a reporter asked Biden. "And also, are you concerned about propaganda use of those remarks by the Russians?"
"No and no," Biden replied.
"Tell me why! You have so much experience. You are the leader of this country," she persisted.
"Because it's ridiculous. Nobody believes I was talking about taking down Putin. Nobody believes that," Biden answered.
"The last thing I want to do is engage in a land war or a nuclear war with Russia. That's not part of it," he continued. "I was expressing my outrage at the behavior of this man ... And it's more an aspiration than anything. He shouldn't be in power ... People like this shouldn't be ruling countries, but they do ... That doesn't mean I can't express my outrage about it."
Biden did not respond to the reporter's question about Russian propaganda.
On Sunday, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) warned that Biden's rhetorical "mistake" would "play into the hands of the Russian propagandists."
Biden previously denied calling for regime change while returning from mass on Sunday. "Two steps from the altar, he would hardly have begun to lie," Russian journalist Mikhail Sheinkman wrote for the state-owned Radio Sputnik.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Crossword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US