George W. Bush blasts ‘unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq’ — he meant ‘Ukraine’

Slip?

While condemning Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine during a speech in Dallas, former President George W. Bush inadvertently mentioned the name of the country he ordered to invade in 2003 under false pretenses.

During a speech at Southern Methodist University on Wednesday, the two-term Republican criticized Putin for staging rigged elections and jailing political opponents.

“The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and one man’s decision to launch a totally unwarranted and brutal invasion of Iraq,” Bush said.

The 43rd president quickly and awkwardly corrected himself, saying, “I mean from Ukraine.”

Speaking in Dallas this afternoon, former President George. W Bush made an important verbal error when discussing the war in Ukraine.

He tried to refer to what he described as the “totally unwarranted and brutal invasion” – but said Iraq, instead of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/tw0VNJzKmE

— Michael Williams (@michaeldamianw) May 19, 2022

He then laughed and blamed the gaffe on the fact that he was 75, which caused the audience to laugh.

Former President George W. Bush speaks on May 7, 2021 in Juno Beach, Florida. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

Bush infamously led the United States and its allies into war against Iraq in March 2003, claiming that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that posed a global threat. Hussein was removed from office and executed in 2006. No such weapon was found.

US forces fought this war until the end of 2011, then became involved in new activities in Iraq when terrorist groups emerged in the absence of the Hussein regime.