The president was answering questions from CNN's Kaitlan Collins when he appeared to short-circuit when asked which conflict would end first, either Russia's invasion of Ukraine or the U.S. conflict with Iran. The gaffe was widely criticized on social media, with some accusing him of parroting Kremlin propaganda on Ukraine. The president responded by saying that he had a good talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine and that he wanted to help end the conflict. The mistake was likely due to "brain fog" or being "sleepy as usual".