President Joe Biden mispronounced the name of jogger Laken Riley as "Lincoln," at his State of the Union address, as he held up a pin with her name presented by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Biden got into multiple exchanges with Republican lawmakers during his speech, repeatedly criticizing his GOP presidential rival, Donald Trump.
However, as Biden started discussing a bill aimed at enhancing border security, which was thwarted by Republicans following Trump's opposition, GOP lawmakers booed him. Greene, wearing a shirt featuring Laken Riley's name, shouted at Biden, "Say her name." "Lincoln, Lincoln Riley," Biden said holding up the pin. "An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal."
Biden Does It Again
Biden didn't even realize that he mispronounced Riley's name and continued speaking. "But how many of thousands of people being killed by legals? To her parents I save my heart goes out to you having lost children myself, I understand," he said.
More importantly, he flubbed the name of the Georgia nursing student, who tragically lost her life while jogging, on the very day the House approved the Laken Riley Act, which proposes that illegal migrants accused of theft upon entering the country should be placed under federal custody.
Greene presented the pin to Biden as he entered the House chamber to deliver his remarks.
As he approached the podium, someone called out to him, prompting him to glance in that direction. To his surprise, Greene stood there wearing a shirt and button featuring the name of the late Georgia college student Laken Riley, along with a red MAGA hat.
"Say her name," Greene said to Biden.
Biden then shifted his focus from discussing Riley to launching an attack on Trump. He extended an offer to collaborate with the former president to pass a border security bill.
"If my predecessor's watching instead of paying politics and pressuring members of Congress to block the bill, join me in telling the Congress to pass it. We can do it together," he said.
"I will not demonize immigrants saying they are poisoned in the blood of our country. I will not separate families. I will not," he added.
In the Line of Fire
Slamming Biden's handling of the border has proven to be a politically effective strategy for Trump. In a recent development, both leaders undertook separate trips to the Southern border to assess the situation.
Biden chose Brownsville, Texas, where illegal crossings have decreased, while Trump visited Eagle Pass, where the issue is more pronounced.
"We can fight about fixing the border, or we can fix it. I'm ready to fix it,' he said. 'Send me the border bill. Now."
Last year, Greene openly accused Biden of being a "liar." Leading up to this year's remarks by Biden, she distributed pins in honor of Laken Riley, the Georgia nursing student who was tragically murdered, with the alleged attacker being an illegal immigrant.
Greene also wore a t-shirt as a tribute to Riley during the event.
The White House points out Biden's adept handling of last year's speech, emphasizing his quick response to Republican heckling regarding claims that they aimed to cut Social Security and Medicare.
As GOP lawmakers started booing him, Biden swiftly redirected the conversation by stating, "As we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare are off the books now."
It's worth noting that House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has advised his members to exercise restraint during this year's presidential remarks.
Johnson, at a closed-door GOP conference meeting on Wednesday, called for decorum, emphasizing the importance of maintaining order.
However, Greene has claimed that her constituents supported her calling out the president last year. Additionally, Representative Lauren Boebert, known for heckling in the past, hinted that she might do the same this year.
Biden found himself in a spirited exchange with GOP hecklers throughout the night, particularly when he accused Republicans of advocating for Social Security cuts and providing more tax breaks to the wealthy.
Republican lawmakers swiftly booed him and shouted "liar."
"Oh, no?," Biden replied. "You guys don't want another $2 trillion tax cut. I kind of thought that's what your plan was. Well, that's good to hear. You're not going to cut another $2 trillion for the super wealthy. That's good to hear."
A few minutes later, Biden once again retaliated against the Republicans, continuing the back-and-forth exchange during his remarks.
