A travelling pack of Westminster journalists were waiting for Keir Starmer to give a press conference when word of Joe Biden’s latest blunder went round.
And blimey it was a whopper.
The United States president had managed to get through hosting the Nato summit without any gaffes and the Western world’s most powerful leaders had agreed they would not waver in their commitment to Ukraine.
In the final hour of the gathering, premiers gathered to listen to President Biden’s closing words.
And just when it looked like he could walk away with a major victory after a difficult few weeks, one small but crucial mix up overshadowed everything.
Calling Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky up to speak, Mr Biden announced him as “President Putin”.
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President Zelensky’s look said it all and he muttered “I’m better”.
In a small room in the bowels of the conference centre where the UK press were preparing to quiz the Prime Minister, phones were whipped out to watch footage of the incident.
“It’s over, he’s surely gone,” was the refrain repeated in the group.
Journalists gathered around the laptop of BBC Political Editor Chris Mason to watch footage being played on Newsnight that showed a wider angle of the scene that captured the reaction of President Zelensky.
It was just a few minutes before Sir Keir was due to give his thoughts on how the summit went.
Of the eight organisations called to then ask questions, the Daily Express among them, four were about the PM’s view on what had happened.
When I asked whether he believed President Biden was capable of serving four more years, Sir Keir studiously avoided answering directly.
Instead, he talked about the president being given credit for what he had achieved at the summit.
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In the room next door, a press conference was supposed to be being held by President Zelensky for Ukrainian journalists.
It was swiftly cancelled.
A press conference for American journalists was repeatedly delayed but eventually went ahead.
President Biden gave his opening remarks but then faced brutal questions about his ability to continue in the job.
He referred to his vice president, Kamala Harris, as "Vice President Trump".
"Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I think she's not qualified to be president," he said.
At the end of the lengthy question and answer session, one journalist pointed out the mistake, which by this time Donald Trump was mocking on social media.
President Biden told the press “listen to him," before walking off stage.
It felt like a turning point in this sorry saga and it is likely more of his own side will be advising his time is up.
And it was clear from his lukewarm answers on the issue that Britain’s new prime minister believes that too.
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