President Biden has faced further ridicule after he praised Pennsylvania voters for “leading him to victory” while running for the Delaware Senate seat.
The 81-year-old, who represented Delaware for 36 years, made the remarks during a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Sunday as he struggles to get his reelection campaign back on track following a disastrous debate defeat.
“When I was running for Senate, and every time I’ve run — and I’m not kidding — Philadelphia in particular helped me win,” Biden declared.
The commander in chief reinforced his statement as a crowd of Philadelphia voters applauded.
“This is no joke,” he said. “We’re taking this whole thing seriously, both organizationally and fundraising-wise.”
It was not immediately clear what exactly Biden was referring to when he said “a full deal,” and he did not elaborate further.
But critics quickly seized on his comments, pointing out on social media that Philadelphia voters would not have been able to vote for him because only Delaware residents could vote for him.
“Oh no! Biden claims Philadelphia ‘helped him win’ when he ran for Senate in Delaware,” tweeted the TikTok account “Libs.”
“So Biden either A) thinks Philadelphia is in Delaware, B) thinks he was a senator from Pennsylvania, or C) admits he needed money and resources from outside the state to get elected,” another user posted to X.
Another critic added: “So when he ran for the Delaware Senate seat, Philadelphia gave him the votes he needed? Wow, you’ve got to admit that, Joe.”
Before becoming vice president under former President Barack Obama, Biden served as a U.S. senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009.
The Washington Post reached out to the White House but did not immediately receive a response.
