During his time as president, Joe Biden has repeatedly displayed a lack of respect for the United States and the values upon which it was founded. He also has made countless gaffes during public appearances.
One or both of those tendencies was on display once again on Monday as Biden spoke on the South Lawn of the White House alongside first lady Jill Biden to commemorate the Fourth of July.
The president appeared to be wrapping up his speech when he became visibly confused. He looked over at his wife, who tried to save the moment by saying, “God bless America.”
Biden then pointed the mic toward the first lady, who repeated the line to make sure everyone heard her.
Jill Biden has to remind Joe Biden to say “God bless America” on the Fourth of July pic.twitter.com/A1xIhgIfRK
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 5, 2022
Many social media users interpreted the moment as another Biden gaffe in which the president could not remember one of the most basic things he was supposed to say.
One user called his apparent mental decline “a sad thing to watch,” while another suggested Jill Biden should persuade him to retire for his own well-being.
He’s shot. It’s a sad thing to watch.
— enufbull1 (@Enufbull1) July 5, 2022
OK, Jill, OK. is it time for Green Acres?
— Steve McKenna (@SteveMc49353147) July 5, 2022
At the same time, others who saw the video had a more sinister interpretation. Multiple commenters questioned whether Biden purposely failed to say, “God bless America,” and one said she believed there was a reason he let his wife say it instead.
Well, if you notice, #SleepyJoe NEVER says, “GOD bless America”. Even this time, he put the mic to his wife to say it. And that says a lot.
— ConniePrays (@ConniePrays) July 5, 2022
I think he just didn’t want to say it.
— Mike Brooks (@itsalizard64) July 5, 2022
While it might be a stretch to assume Biden had malicious intent in failing to say, “God bless America,” there are plenty of reasons to suspect he does not love and appreciate this country as much as past presidents did.
Does Biden’s omission of “God bless America” concern you?
Yes: 93% (14 Votes)
No: 7% (1 Votes)
In 2019, Biden said during a breakfast honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that American society was systematically racist, and he implored “whites” to agree with him.
“The bottom line is we have a lot to root out, but most of all the systematic racism that most of us whites don’t like to acknowledge even exists,” Biden said. “We don’t even consciously acknowledge it. But it’s been built into every aspect of our system.”
He went on to say “white America” needed to admit “there’s still a systematic racism.”
Former VP Joe Biden at MLK breakfast: “We have a lot to root out, but most of all the systematic racism that most of us whites don’t like to acknowledge even exists.”
“There’s something we have to admit—not you, we, white America—has to admit there’s still a systematic racism.” pic.twitter.com/preguit7yi
— ABC News (@ABC) January 21, 2019
According to CBS News, Biden made similar comments in June 2020 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. He said there was “absolutely” systemic racism in law enforcement, and he didn’t stop there.
“But it’s not just in law enforcement, it’s across the board,” Biden said. “It’s in housing, it’s in education, and it’s in everything we do. It’s real. It’s genuine. It’s serious.
“And it is — it is able to be dealt with. Look, not all law enforcement officers are racist; my lord, there are some really good, good cops out there. But the way in which it works right now is we’ve seen too many examples of it.”
Biden later tried to soften these comments after South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott called them out during the Republican response to his first State of the Union address.
“I don’t think the American people are racist, but I think after 400 years, African-Americans have been left in a position where they are so far behind the eight ball in terms of education and health, in terms of opportunity,” the president said in an April 2021 interview with NBC’s “Today” show.
“I don’t think America is racist, but I think the overhang from all of the Jim Crow and before that, slavery, have had a cost and we have to deal with it.”
“I don’t think America’s racist, but I think the overhang from all of the Jim Crow and before that slavery have had a cost and we have to deal with it.” -President Biden pic.twitter.com/j52kCMC9O5
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 30, 2021
These comments were directly in contrast with his previous ones calling America “systematically racist.”
The idea of “systemic racism” suggests the nation is racist at its core and needs to be radically changed, which is a different idea entirely from saying the country can still improve when it comes to racism.
Of course, any country can improve in a myriad of areas, and if Biden had simply said that, it would not be controversial.
However, he explicitly said America is “systematically racist.”
In a time when too many people are trying to rip apart the core values of our country, it has never been more important for our leader to express gratitude for the United States and its values.
Whether Biden’s failure to say “God bless America” this Fourth of July was intentional or accidental, it should concern every American.
