'Debates will be interesting': Internet mocks Biden for claiming he was vice president during Covid-19 pandemic at NAACP event

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: President Joe Biden seemed to assert that he was vice president during the coronavirus pandemic and that former President Barack Obama had sent him to Detroit to assist with the response.

The incumbent spoke at an NAACP campaign event in Michigan on Sunday, May 19, night, as reported by the New York Post. 

"When I was vice president, things were kind of bad during the pandemic. And, what happened was Barack said to me: 'Go to Detroit – help fix it,'" said Biden, who left office in 2017, three years before the pandemic hit in 2019. 

President Joe Biden suggests that he was vice president during the pandemic in a bizarre mixup

Referring to Detroit's Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan, who was seated to his right, President Biden remarked, "Well, the poor mayor – he's spent more time with me than he ever thought he's going to have to."

Mayor Duggan then stood up and shook hands with Biden.

The pandemic, known as Covid-19 because global health officials identified it as an outbreak in 2019, occurred during the latter part of Donald Trump's presidency, not Obama's.

Biden became the president as the pandemic was nearing its end. 

In another part of his speech, the president recalled working with civil rights activists during his younger years and joked that Detroit was instrumental in providing for his family, as his father, Joseph Biden Sr, worked in the automotive industry.

In the transcript issued by the White House, the word "pandemic" was struck off and replaced with "recession," possibly hinting at the 2008 automotive industry crisis. 

President Joe Biden criticizes Donald Trump for extremist actions

During the NAACP dinner, Biden took several jabs at his political rival Trump, asserting that "MAGA Republicans" are inclined toward extremist actions like book banning. 

"All that progress is at risk. Trump is trying to make the country forget just how dark things were… when he was president," remarked the POTUS, as per Fox News Digital.

He went on to say, "We will never forget him lying about how serious the pandemic was, telling Americans ‘just inject bleach’ – I think that's what he did. I think that's why he's so screwy."

Biden also expressed concerns about his predecessor potentially nominating more Supreme Court justices, questioning, "Do you think he'll put anybody [there] who has a brain? It's clear when he lost in 2020, and I mean this sincerely: something snapped in Trump. He just can't accept he lost… That's why Jan 6 happened."

A mid-April Fox News Poll in Michigan showed that 46% of registered voters support Biden, whereas 49% back Trump. This marks a two-percentage-point gain for Trump compared to a similar survey conducted in February.

Two years earlier, Biden had an eight-percentage-point lead over Trump in the Great Lakes State.

Internet mocks President Joe Biden over his latest gaffe

One wrote, "He didn’t suggest…. HE LIED," and another said, "It's probably Pence under the mask," referring to Mike Pence, who served as the vice president from 2017 to 2021 under Trump. 

"The Truth always comes out. Biden is going to be replaced," asserted a person. Someone else remarked, "Sounds like he got his timelines mixed up."

An individual joked, "The debates will be interesting," pointing to the upcoming CNN presidential debate between Biden and Trump. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.