Social media commentators and journalists have criticized President Biden for forgetting Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s name in a recent interview and referring to him only as a “black man,” but some say his remarks were misinterpreted.
Biden has been making a series of media appearances since his poor performance in last month’s debate prompted calls for him to drop out of the race.
“It’s all about treating people with dignity,” Biden said in an interview with Black Entertainment Television (BET). “I’ve nominated a Black man to be secretary of defense.”
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Social media commentators and journalists criticized President Biden for forgetting Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s name during a recent interview and calling him a “black man.” (Bed)
“I nominated Ketanji Brown,” he added, referring to the 2022 appointment of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. It is unclear whether Biden had actually forgotten Austin’s name or was simply referring broadly to Black administration members and appointees.
The president also appeared to forget Austin’s name in March, calling him “the guy who runs the organization over there.”
Biden announced the nominations of two female generals to lead U.S. combatant commands at a White House event earlier this year. “I want to thank the secretary, who is a former general — I keep calling him a general — who’s leading that, that, that unit over there,” he said in March.
President Joe Biden, right, sits next to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, as he speaks at the start of a meeting with combatant commanders before hosting them for dinner in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Biden’s comments have divided political commentators and journalists, with some claiming the president couldn’t remember the name of one of his most critical cabinet members and others saying the video was misinterpreted.
“During a BET interview appealing to black voters, President Biden appears to forget Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s name,” wrote Andy Ngo, a conservative independent journalist. “He pauses for a moment before saying ‘black people.'”
“Joe Biden can’t remember the Secretary of Defense’s name and just calls him a black man,” Outkick founder Clay Travis wrote. “I can’t believe this is real.[.]”
“I think a lot of people are misinterpreting this clip,” reporter Ken Klippenstein wrote. “If you listen closely, Biden seems to say ‘a black secretary of defense,’ not ‘black people.’ In context, he’s listing black appointees.”[.]”
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Biden also told BET that he would consider withdrawing from the presidential race if he developed health issues that would prevent him from serving as president.
“If I had any kind of medical problem, a doctor would come in and tell me I have this problem, that problem,” Biden told BET’s Ed Gordon when asked about his reasons for dropping out of the race.
“But I made a serious mistake throughout the debate. As you all remember, when I first ran, I said I was going to be an interim candidate. I thought I could get out of this situation and hand it over to someone else. But I didn’t expect things to become as divisive as they have become.”
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Biden announced Wednesday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing mild symptoms.
Fox News’ Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
