President Joe Biden appeared to botch his policy proposal in a shaky speech at the 115th NAACP conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Biden spoke at the conference parallel to the Republican National Convention, attempting to secure his nomination by riling up support among minority voters. However, his speech likely did little to inspire confidence among his doubters in the Democratic Party.
The president may have made his biggest mistake when he appeared to misstate his policy proposal regarding a cap on rent raises.
“Look, folks, the idea, the idea that corporate-owned housing is able to raise your rent, [300], 400 bucks a month or something? Well, I’m about to announce that they can’t raise it more than—” Biden said, pausing and leaning forward while squinting, “$55.”
The crowd cheered in response to the major proposal. Unfortunately for those excited about the drastic rent raise cap, the real amount was probably actually 5%.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for clarification.
While taking issue with Trump’s remark that immigrants were taking “black jobs,” Biden attempted to hit back by listing jobs that he had appointed black people to. While listing them, he accidentally implied that former President Barack Obama had then become his own vice president and a woman.
“I know that a black job is the first black president in American history, Barack Obama,” Biden said to cheers. “I was vice president to Barack, and she is my vice president.”
Elsewhere in the speech, he implied that there were no riots around George Floyd’s death, saying black protesters were all peaceful and that then-President Donald Trump was trying to call in the National Guard on peaceful protesters.
“And you peacefully protested George Floyd’s murder. Donald Trump called for the National Guard to go after you,” Biden said. “What the hell is the matter with this man?”
The president also justified his harsh criticism of Trump after the assassination attempt against him.
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“Now, just because we must lower the temperature … it doesn’t mean we should stop telling the truth. Who you are, what you’ve done, what you’ll do, that’s fair game,” he said. “As Harry Truman said, ‘I’ve never delivered or given anyone hell. I just told the truth that they thought it was hell.’ And that’s what I’m going to do. Where’s the truth about why Donald Trump’s presidency was held for black America?”
Despite his harsh criticism of Trump throughout the speech, Biden said he was praying for the former president following the attempt on his life.
