2024-03-10 15:00:00
On Thursday night during the State of the Union, exactly two weeks after the murder of 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley, Joe Biden finally said her name. Or, flubbed it, as the case may be.
It happened as he talked about the border crisis, which obviously was not a priority for him since he didn’t mention it until well into his speech.
During his remarks, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) demanded he say Riley’s name, just as she did when he was making his way to the podium and she confronted him.
As usual, he bungled it. The words that came out of his mouth were not “Laken Riley,” but “Lincoln Riley.”
After he acknowledged that she was allegedly killed “by an illegal,” he then asked “But how many thousands of people are being killed by legals?” which of course was an insulting and irrelevant question.
BIDEN on LAKEN RILEY:
‘Lincoln, Lincoln Riley! An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal, that’s right, but how many of the thousands of people have been killed by legals?’pic.twitter.com/zPbsWFMySJ
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) March 8, 2024
Biden probably would have been better off not saying her name considering not only did he get it wrong, but also because Democrats and the media had meltdowns in the aftermath of the speech, primarily because in their view he was mean to Ibarra by calling him “illegal”:
“Just like we should not be implementing Republican policy, we should not be repeating Republican rhetoric,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass, who added that she had never heard the president use that word before.
“The rhetoric President Biden used tonight was dangerously close to language from Donald Trump that puts a target on the backs of Latinos everywhere,” U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
As a proud immigrant, I’m extremely disappointed to hear President Biden use the word “illegal.”
— Congressman Chuy García (@RepChuyGarcia) March 8, 2024
Let me be clear: No human being is illegal.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 8, 2024
On Friday, Biden was asked by reporters if he regretted using the term “illegal,” and though he initially looked like he was going to say he didn’t, he then said something about how Ibarra was “technically not supposed to be here”:
“Do you regret using the word ‘illegal’ to describe immigrants last night?”
BIDEN (short circuiting): “Well, I probably, uhhhh, I don’t re— it, uhhh, aghhh, technically not supposed to be here…” pic.twitter.com/ubl5SEOAyc
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 8, 2024
Sometime between that exchange and when he sat down Saturday for an MSNBC interview, his handlers must have made sure he knew to say that he regretted it. Here’s what Biden said when he was asked the “regret” question by anchor Jonathan Capehart while in Atlanta, Georgia:
“I shouldn’t have used illegal, it’s undocumented,” he said.
“And look, when I spoke about the difference between Trump and me, one of the things I talked about in the border was his, the way he talks about vermin, the way he talks about these people polluting the blood. I talked about what I’m not going to do. What I won’t do.
“I’m not going to treat any, any, any of these people with disrespect. Look, they built the country. The reason our economy is growing. We have to control the border and more orderly flow, but I don’t share his view at all,” continued Biden.
“Look, they built the country. The reason our economy is growing. We have to control the border and more orderly flow, but I don’t share his view at all,” continued Biden.
“So, you regret using that word?” Capehart asked.
“Yes,” Biden responded.
Watch:
NEW: President Biden tells @CapehartJ that he regrets using the word “illegal” during his State of the Union speech to refer to the alleged killer of Laken Riley.
“I shouldn’t have used ‘illegal.’ It’s undocumented.”
Tune in at 6pm ET on MSNBC for the full interview. pic.twitter.com/EX7XuyhF1N
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 9, 2024
I’m not sure what’s worse: Biden not saying Riley’s name for two weeks, him tweeting about George Floyd on the day of her funeral, or him expressing “regret” for not being more sensitive in his choice of words in describing her alleged murderer.
Expressing regret for accurately describing the Venezuelan illegal alien charged with bashing in Laken Riley’s skull as an “illegal” is a remarkable moment.
The one and only time Biden mentions her name – he botches it – and now he hopes to avoid offending her alleged killer.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 9, 2024
Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, was also in Georgia Saturday, where he met with Riley’s family before a rally:
“Joe Biden went on television and apologized for calling Laken’s murderer an illegal,” he said to loud jeers and boos. “Biden should be apologizing for apologizing to this killer.”
[…]
Trump was joined at his rally by Riley’s parents, her sister and friends and met with them before he took the stage. They were welcomed with a standing ovation and large signs handed out by the campaign that featured Riley’s photograph and the words “SAY HER NAME!” “REMEMBER OUR ANGELS,” they read on the back.
“We share your grief,” Trump told them in his remarks.
As others observed, the contrasts here were remarkable:
Trump hugs Laken Riley’s grieving parents as Biden apologizes to her kiIIer.
I have never seen a clearer contrast. pic.twitter.com/39WcD9zQte
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 10, 2024
The difference between the right and the left in one picture.
The left is upset that Biden called Laken Riley’s murderer an “illegal” (he is). Biden is busy on TV apologizing to his deranged base.
Meanwhile, Trump is meeting with her family. https://t.co/ZKtHVnwbRL
— Erielle Azerrad (@politicalelle) March 10, 2024
Some final thoughts from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah):
Biden’s word choice doesn’t change the fact that Laken Riley’s killer:
(1) entered the U.S. illegally, having been encouraged to do so by Biden’s open-border policies, &
(2) later killed Laken Riley.
Regardless of what euphemisms Biden uses, he enabled Laken Riley’s murderer. https://t.co/koZnhv2eNu
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) March 9, 2024
Indeed.
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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