In Joe Biden’s latest gaffe, he appeared to struggle remembering the name of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“It’s all about treating people with dignity,” Biden said during his interview with BET.
“Look at the heat I’m getting because I, I named a, uh, the, uh, secretary of defense – the black man. I named Ketanji Brown. I mean, because of the people I’ve named,” Biden said.
WATCH:
BIDEN: "Look at the heat I'm getting because I, I named a, uh, the, uh, secretary of defense — the black man" 🥴 pic.twitter.com/PJYzDznpIV
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 18, 2024
Fox News reports:
It was unclear if Biden did forget Austin’s name or was simply referring broadly to administration members and appointees who are Black.
The president also seemingly forgot Austin’s name in March, calling him “the guy who runs that outfit over there.”
Biden was announcing the nomination of two female generals to lead US military combatant commands during a White House event earlier this year. “And I want to thank the sec — the, the, ah, former general. I keep calling him general, but my, my — the guy who runs that outfit over there,” he said in March.
Political commentators and journalists were divided over Biden’s comments, with some claiming that the president could not remember the name of one of his most critical Cabinet officials, while others said that the clip was being misinterpreted.
“In the BET interview to woo black voters, President Biden appears to forget the name of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin,” conservative independent journalist Andy Ngo wrote. “He struggles for a moment and says, ‘the black man.'”
In the BET interview to woo black voters, President Biden appears to forget the name of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
He struggles for a moment and says, “the black man.”
In January, Austin did not inform the public he was hospitalized for days.pic.twitter.com/AQo04FwzR3
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) July 18, 2024
“Biden can’t even remember Lloyd Austin’s name instead just calling him ‘Black Man.’ And then tried to pivot to Kentanji Brown. On BET mind you. The pandering has already begun,” X user Malcolm FleX said.
Biden can't even remember Lloyd Austin's name instead just calling him "Black Man." And then tried to pivot to Kentanji Brown.
On BET mind you.
The pandering has already begun. pic.twitter.com/gjQgTLQEg3
— Malcolm FleX (@Malcolm_fleX48) July 18, 2024
From the New York Post:
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Biden used “a” or “the” to describe Austin as black.
Still, some social media users seized on the president’s remark.
“Let’s see how the Biden dead-enders spin this one,” one user posted on X.
“A POTUS who cannot remember the name of his SecDef — and instead calls him ‘the black man’ — is not mentally equipped to be in charge of 5,000 nuclear weapons,” another griped.
Meanwhile, RNC Research tweeted the clip with a squeamish-faced emoji.
Others, though, argued the viral clip was being misconstrued.
“I think people are misconstruing this clip. If you listen closely, Biden seems to say ‘the secretary of defense, a black man’ not ‘the black man’; and the context is he’s listing his black appointees,” one person tweeted.
A Biden campaign spokesperson didn’t address the apparent stumble when reached by The Post, instead listing ways Biden believes he’s delivered for black Americans.
In the interview, Biden also said he would consider dropping out of the presidential election if a doctor diagnosed him with a ‘medical condition.’
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