President Biden made what many considered an “offensive” joke Thursday during his remarks about the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.
Biden has convened senior administration officials to work on the federal response to the Pacific Palisades wildfire, which continues to rage through the county, forcing thousands of Californians to evacuate and destroying thousands of homes and buildings. .
After briefing the nation on the federal government's plan to help local government workers during disasters, Biden gave the floor to Vice President Kamala Harris, a native of California, and cracked a quick joke.
“Mrs. Vice President, I know you are directly affected. That's why you're firing, and I'm not kidding,” Biden said.
President Biden made a brief joke during a news conference about the Los Angeles wildfires. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
California wildfires wreak havoc in Los Angeles County, killing 5 people and threatening thousands of homes
X users were immediately shocked by the comment and began criticizing the president.
“What’s wrong with this guy,” Red State writer Bonchy exclaimed.
“Is there empathy in your room right now?” Townhall.com video editor Kevin McMahon wrote.
Townhall.com columnist Derek Hunter said, “Most of the time, Joe Biden is just a mean, vindictive person (which is what his career has been all about), but in this case, this is his senility. I think it's because of this,” he wrote.
“Even Kamala at this point is like, 'Are you serious?'” said Spectator contributing editor Stephen Miller.
“Totally tone deaf,” wrote Libs on TikTok.
Conservative commentator Steve Guest said: “What a disaster.”
Conservative writer Ben Kew said, “This is not the time to make puns.''
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Biden announced at a news conference that the federal government will cover 100% of disaster response costs for the next 180 days.
“This will pay for all debris and hazardous materials removal, temporary shelter, first responder salaries, and safety measures to protect life and property,” he said. “I want to emphasize that I told the governor and local officials to spare no expense. And we are literally doing everything at the federal level.”
President Joe Biden (front) and California Governor Gavin Newsom are seen side by side after being briefed on the devastating Southern California wildfires on January 8, 2025. (CBS pool)
Biden had already faced backlash from a meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom and fire officials the day before.
After signing the disaster declaration and reiterating his support for the state, Biden took time to announce the birth of his first great-grandchild.
“The good news is, starting today, I'm a great-grandfather,” Biden said.
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Biden was criticized for making a joke about a similar situation in 2023, after referring to the devastating wildfires that killed more than 100 people on the island of Maui.
Before speaking at the site, Biden met with officials and stopped in front of search and rescue dogs to shake hands. As he petted the dog, he joked about the boots the dog was wearing.
“Do you want to catch the boot here?” Biden appeared to ask reporters watching. He smiled and said, “That's hot ground, dude.”
