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Joe Biden has been mocked for forgetting which state he just spent the day in after he mixed its name up with another.

The former Vice President confused New Hampshire with Nevada during a speech on the night of the state’s first-in-the-nation primary, telling supporters in South Carolina: “It’s important that Iowa and Nevada have spoken.”

It is not the first time the 77-year-old has made an embarrassing blunder in public, nor the first time he has mixed up state names.

In November, he confused Iowa for Ohio in response to a question about infrastructure, saying: “How many unsafe bridges do you still have here in the state of Ohio? I mean Iowa.”

Trying to glide over the gaffe he explained: “I was just in Ohio. Because they have more."

Twitter users have ridiculed the presidential hopeful for his latest slip-up, with one user commenting: “Joe Biden confuses Nevada with New Hampshire & they’ve only been to two states so far.”

Republican campaigner Steve Guest added: “Joe Biden confuses states AGAIN. This is a pattern.”

It came as Mr Biden's performance in the US presidential primaries continued its shaky start.

Long considered the Democratic frontrunner, the former VP left New Hampshire as votes were still being counted, with polls suggesting he was set for a disappointing ranking.

He made the surprise decision to head straight down to South Carolina before his weak performance was confirmed, with results later placing him behind Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders in a modest fifth place.

He previously ranked fourth in the Iowa caucuses, although major technical issues have sparked calls for a recount.

But Mr Biden struck a note of defiance as he addressed supporters in the southern coastal state on Tuesday evening, insisting: “We just heard from the first two of the 50 states.”

“Two of them,” Mr Biden continued. “Not all of the nation, not half the nation.”

The next caucus will take place in Nevada on February 22.