Throughout his more than five decades in political life, Joe Biden has gained notoriety for his verbal gaffes and missteps. The rigors of the Presidency seem to have intensified his tendency for verbal blunders, leaving staffers to deal with the aftermath of his often perplexing and controversial remarks.
Let’s take a look at some of the standout quotes by the President.
#1. “Where’s Jackie?”
In a particularly popular verbal misfire, Biden sought out Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski at a White House conference, unaware that she had tragically passed away eight weeks earlier.
Puzzlingly, he asked, “Representative Jackie – are you here? Where’s Jackie?”
“I think she was going to be here,” he added.
#2. “Your Mom’s Still Alive”
At a St. Patrick’s Day reception for the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen in 2010, Biden mistakenly thought the Prime Minister’s mother had passed.
“His mom lived in Long Island for 10 years or so, God rest her soul, and, although she’s, wait—your mom’s still alive. It was your dad [who] passed. God bless her soul. I gotta get this straight,” Biden said.
#3. “God Save the Queen.”
He said, “I will stand in front of each section — no, I really mean it — and if you can see the camera they can see you. It is the least consequential part of this whole meeting for you, I promise.”
He left the stage with the words, “God Save the Queen, man.”
#4. “Stand Up, Chuck”
During a 2008 campaign rally in Missouri, Biden made an insensitive comment, asking the audience to applaud State Senator Chuck Graham. However, what he seemed unaware of was that Graham was a paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair after a car accident.
“Stand up, Chuck, let ’em see you,” Biden said, gesturing for Graham to stand.
#5. “You Ain’t Black”
In May 2020, during an interview on a radio show, Biden made a startling comment that offended many in the African American community.
When questioned about his record on racial issues, he stated, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
#6. “We Ended Cancer”
President Biden said: “One of the things I’m always asked is… why Americans have sort of lost faith for a while on being – being able to do big things. If you could do anything at all Joe what would you do?’ I said I’d cure cancer. “And they looked at me like, ‘why cancer?’ Because no one thinks we can, that’s why, and we can. We ended cancer as we know it.”
#7. “Poor Kids Are Just as Bright as White Kids”
During a campaign event in Iowa in 2019, Biden made a comment that seemed to imply racial bias.
He stated, “Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.”
#8. “Lying Dog-Faced Pony Soldier”
At a New Hampshire campaign event in 2020, Biden addressed a young voter by referring to her as a “lying dog-faced pony soldier” after she asked him about his performance in the Iowa caucuses.
#9. Senator or President?
Fifteen months after becoming the President, Biden still had a hard time remembering his job title.
He said, “There have not been many of the senators from Delaware. It’s a small state,” Biden said as he introduced himself to the crowd at a White House.
“As a matter of fact, there has never been one,” he added.
#10. “Kleptocracy,”
As the President pushed for help for Ukraine in April, he said, “Ha, we’re going to ‘accommodate’ them. “We’re going to seize their yachts, their luxury homes, and other ill-begotten gains of Putin’s kleptocrac- — yeah …”
“Kleptocracy and klep- — the guys who are the kleptocracies,” he finished with a chuckle. “But these are bad guys.”
#11. “Over 120 Million Dead”
“Now we have over 120 million dead from COVID,” Biden said, Botching the stats at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, June, 2020.
He then corrected himself to say 120,000.
#12. “Mainstream African American”
During a conference call, Biden assessed the strengths of fellow presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
He said, “I mean you’ve got the first sort of mainstream African American, who is articulate and bright, and clean and [a] nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
#13. Renewable Energy
“If your home is powered by safer, cheaper, cleaner electricity, like solar or heat pumps, you can save about $500 a month on average,” Biden said.
Hours later, the White House quietly corrected the official transcript of the president’s remarks, crossing out the word “month” and inserting the word “year.”
#14. “All Men and Women Are Created the Thing”
President Biden fumbled to recite part of the Declaration of Independence.
He said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident. All men and women are created, by the, you know, you know the thing.”
#15. “Uh, You Know, Where Roosevelt Came up With a Thing Uh, That Uh”
Joe Biden Was rambling and struggling for words during a CNN interview where he said, “You know, there’s a uh, during World War II, uh, you know, where Roosevelt came up with a thing uh, that uh, you know, was totally different than a, than the, the, it’s called, he called it the, you know, the World War II, he had the war – the War Production Board.”
#16. “I’m Not Stupid”
Joe Biden Biden, who is of Irish descent, implied that Irish people are stupid. He said, “I may be Irish but I’m not stupid.”
#17. “Hopeful in 2020”
Four days into 2022, Biden said, “There’s a lot of reason to be hopeful in 2020.”
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The post “President’s Remarkable Quotes” – Biden’s Noteworthy Verbal Slip-Ups and Unconventional Moments, From “God Save the Queen, Man” to “Hopeful in 2020” first appeared on Fistful of Dollars.
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