'Mean old man': Joe Biden faces criticism for saying 'Lincoln' Riley instead of Laken Riley during State of the Union address

WASHINGTON, DC: During his State of the Union address on Thursday, March 7, President Biden made a foray into the complex hot-button issue of immigration

However, criticism arose as President Biden mispronounced the name of Laken Riley, a female nursing student whose death has been linked to an illegal immigrant admitted into the United States under the current administration's catch-and-release policies, per The Washington Times.

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia prompted the POTUS on this matter by confronting him with Riley's name as he entered the chamber.

What happened when President Joe Biden addressed Laken Riley’s death during his speech?

President Joe Biden attempted to speak on the border during his address when the firebrand Georgia congresswoman interjected him by shouting "Say her name."

“Lincoln — Lincoln Riley,” Biden remarked while holding up a commemorative button with Laken Riley’s name inscribed on it that House Republicans distributed. “An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.”

“That’s right, but how many of the thousands of people are being killed by illegals,” the Commander-in-Chief posed.

Biden said, “To her parents, I say, my heart goes out to you, having lost children myself. I understand.”

Notably, President Biden’s off-the-cuff comment caused a stir on conservative social media platforms. Furthermore, the President's use of the term "an illegal" to describe Riley's alleged murderer has angered many moderates, who consider the term archaic and insulting.

The debate over the use of such terminology is longstanding. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently prohibited the use of the term "illegal alien" among his employees, citing concerns about its potential to foster an unwelcoming atmosphere for immigrants.

Authorities allege that on February 22, Riley was brutally murdered by Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant who had been apprehended and released in 2022 due to Biden's open border policy and sanctuary city protections against deportation.

Her passing and several other high-profile crimes that have been attributed to illegal immigration have intensified the already bitter discussion about immigration and the border.

President Biden spoke just hours after the House passed the Laken Riley Act with a bipartisan majority. The law would mandate that undocumented immigrants who are suspected of stealing be detained by the Department of Homeland Security.

The 37 Democrats who joined Republicans in supporting the bill demonstrated how the political landscape on immigration has changed in recent weeks.

During his speech, Biden claimed he could halt the historic influx of undocumented immigrants by granting Congress additional authority, which would expedite the immigration process.

The 81-year-old incumbent POTUS claimed that the immigrants wouldn't be prepared to pay $8,000 to cartels to assist them in trying to cross the border if they could receive deportation decisions in "six weeks" as opposed to six or eight years.

Biden pushed Congress to bring back a border bill that his administration had assisted in drafting for the Senate.

He mentioned that the bill might have a chance of passing if former President Donald Trump joined him in supporting it, even in the event of a bipartisan filibuster leading to its defeat.

“My Republican friends owe it to the American people: Get this bill done. We need to act now,” Biden reiterated.

Biden's recent remarks on immigration failed to appease either side of the political spectrum.

Republicans accused him of deflecting responsibility for the border chaos, while immigrant-rights advocates noted that the proposed bill he supports contains measures deemed too harsh for undocumented migrants.

Internet slams President Joe Biden as he commits yet another verbal slip-up during Thursday’s address

People on X mocked Joe Biden for mispronouncing the name of the deceased college student and offering little consolation to her family and friends who are grappling with her loss.

One X user remarked, "Biden looks like zombie" [sic]

Another user said, "He was tripping all over his words."

Another user claimed, "He Has Cognitive Impairment Or Dementia. Low Energy, Forgetful, Bumbling, Mean Old Man !"

One user asked, "You botch all the time. Is this the best you have?"

Another X user asked, "Horrible, when will it be over?"

One more user tweeted, "Do you think ANYONE from that University is going to vote for this POS!?!? SOMEONE needs to do a poll on this...."

 

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