Joe Biden forgets Lloyd Austin’s name as he harks back to controversy of putting ‘Black man’ in power

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden seemed to have difficulty recalling the name of his Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, as he discussed facing criticism for appointing a "Black man" to the important position.

The 81-year-old incumbent president made the comment while highlighting his track record of appointing Black people in his administration during an interview with Black Entertainment Television (BET), according to the New York Post.

Following the exchange, a video clip quickly went viral on social media, with some critics accusing the gaffe-ridden Joe Biden of forgetting Austin's name and simply referring to him as "the black man."

Others argued that he may have stumbled over trying to articulate that he had appointed "a black man" to the role.

What did Joe Biden say during the sit-down interview?

“It’s all about treating people with dignity. For example, look at the heat I’m getting because I named a, uh, the secretary of defense, [unintelligible] black man,” Biden said.

“I named Ketanji Brown, I mean, because of the people I’ve named,” the Democrat statesman continued, referring to Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Whether President Biden used "a" or "the" to describe Lloyd Austin as black was not immediately clear.

Nevertheless, some individuals on social media focused on the POTUS's statement. RNC Research posted the clip with a cringing emoji.

On the other hand, some argued that the widely circulated clip was being misinterpreted.

A spokesperson for the Biden campaign did not acknowledge the apparent mistake when contacted by the aforementioned outlet but instead enumerated how President Biden believes he has made a difference for black Americans.

Senior spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said, “President Biden talked at length about the importance of black America, the historic ways he has delivered for black communities, and his proactive vision to stand up for civil rights, grow an economy where hard work pays off, and make housing more affordable.”

“Meanwhile at the RNC, Donald Trump and his MAGA allies doubled down on extremism, division, and their Project 2025 agenda, making it clear that they are only interested in helping billionaires while turning Americans against each other. The choice couldn’t be more clear,” she claimed.

Internet trolls Joe Biden for struggling to recall Sec of Defense Lloyd Austin’s name

People online mocked the Commander-in-Chief for forgetting the name of his Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, during a Wednesday BET interview, and instead simply calling him a "black man." 

One X user remarked, "He doesn't 'appear' to struggle. He forgot the man's name."

Another user said, "Now we know why they’ve kept him away from the press. Biden’s media tour is going great…"

Another user wrote, "Racist Joe always forgets the black man’s name."

One user argued, "Biden appears to struggle with everything."

Another X user claimed, "@SecDef was front row for @JoeBiden press conference last week now he’s only known to @JoeBiden as “black man” and mixed up with a female Supreme Court justice . @JoeBiden is gone mentally."

Finally, this user tweeted, "The walls are closing in."

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.