Are Americans really going to vote for Biden again in 2024 after this?
President Biden’s recent speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus contained a noteworthy misstep, marking his third public speaking error within a span of two days. During the address at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 46th Annual Gala in Washington, D.C., President Biden praised Sister Norma Pimental, the gala award recipient and executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. In his speech, he cited the teachings he received from nuns in his youth, emphasizing values from the Gospel of Matthew, such as caring for the less fortunate and respecting the dignity of all. However, he made a significant error by attributing these virtues to the Congressional Black Caucus instead of Sister Norma and the Hispanic Caucus.
This incident followed a day in which President Biden forgot to shake hands with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as “Lula,” during a joint press conference. Later that evening, he repeated the same anecdote at a fundraiser, underscoring the oversight. Notably, President Biden did not attempt to rectify these verbal missteps during his speeches, as he has occasionally done in the past.
In transcript provided by Fox, Biden shockingly said, “I know Sister Norma lives the lessons nuns taught me growing up. Lessons based on the Gospel of Matthew: feed the hungry, care for the sick, welcome strangers. They echo what my dad taught me, and I mean this sincerely, my dad used to say, ‘Everyone, everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.’ The Congressional Black Caucus embodies all those values.”
Despite these gaffes, the president continued to emphasize his administration’s accomplishments, particularly in terms of increasing Hispanic representation in his Cabinet and boasting about “record low” Latino unemployment rates. These incidents occurred approximately one week after he made remarks implying that African American and Hispanic workers lacked high school diplomas during a speech at Prince George’s Community College in Maryland.
Furthermore, at an event at the United Nations in New York City focused on workers’ rights, President Biden awkwardly bypassed acknowledging Brazilian President Lula after shaking hands with International Labor Organization Director-General Gilbert Houngbo, who shared the stage with him. Lula appeared visibly perturbed by the snub, and later, during a fundraiser, President Biden repeated the same story almost verbatim within minutes.
These instances prompted numerous comments on social media platforms about the president’s age and concerns about his health.