SAY IT AINT JOE
Biden makes embarrassing gaffe about his years as VP in fumbling civil rights speech and gives warning on future riots
Biden fumbled through his latest speech, appearing to forget how long he had served as vice president
JOE Biden stumbled through a civil rights speech on Friday in which he appeared to forget how long he had been in the Oval Office.
The president, 81, quickly backtracked after saying he had served as vice president for as long as 12 years.
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The gaffe came out on Friday during a White House ceremony in honor of a new national monument in Springfield, Illinois that commemorates the Black victims of the 1908 race riots.
“I never thought that, having been in the Senate for so many years as well as vice president for 12 years," Biden began.
After catching his error, the president quickly corrected himself, adding, "For eight years and president for four years — that I’d see, that I’d have to worry about people wanting to erase history."
His comments were referring to a push to ban the discussion of Critical Race Theory, which emphasizes race as central to historical analysis and understanding.
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“It’s important, important, important,” Biden stressed, noting “that anybody that walks by this area knows what happened here because it could happen again if we don’t take care of ourselves and fight for this democracy.”
The new monument is in honor of the Black residents of Springfield who were lynched by a white mob near Abraham Lincoln's former home in August 1908.
At least 17 people were killed during the race riots, including Black residents and members of the white mob.
Sculptures by local artist Preston Jackson have been set up to commemorate the victims of the race riots and the new national monument area in Springfield, Illinois.
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It comes just weeks after Biden's disastrous performance in his presidential debate against Donald Trump on June 27.
The president mumbled through the 90-minute discussion, sometimes speaking so low it was difficult to hear him.
Joe Biden appears to call Trump 'Donald Dump' as Kamala Harris takes lead at first joint rally since he dropped out
He lost his train of thought more than once, sometimes leaving the audience guessing.
As more and more supporters and Democratic party members began to call for Biden to consider taking his name off the presidential ticket, the president reiterated his determination to run.
But after former president Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania and Biden was taken off the campaign trail with another bout of Covid, his resolve began to weaken.
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By July 21, rumors about Biden's poor health combined with concerns over the everlasting popularity of his competitor pushed the president to announce that he would not be running for re-election in November.
Joe Biden's full letter announcing his withdrawal from campaign
On Sunday, July 21, 2024, 46th US president Joe Biden posted a letter X, formerly known as Twitter, announcing he's stepping down from the 2024 presidential race.
My Fellow Americans,
Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.
Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We've made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We've provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We've protected and preserved our Democracy. And we've revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.
It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.
I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.
For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can't do - when we do it together.
We just have to remember we are the United States of America
A NEW CANDIDATE
Vice President Kamala Harris was named as the party favorite within hours of Biden stepping out of the race.
Thanks to a series of endorsements from Biden and other Democratic Party officials, Harris was able to shore up the support she needed to be officially nominated as the Democratic candidate earlier this month.
She is the first woman of color to lead a national presidential ticket in the US.
Harris, 59, has brought a burst of energy to the Democratic Party since securing the nomination, offering voters a starkly different candidate than Biden.
She most recently made headlines by tapping Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate, another foil to Trump's pick of JD Vance for the job.
Kamala Harris' full statement on her VP pick
Kamala Harris confirmed her running mate in a text blast to supporters, then shared a lengthy post on Instagram explaining her decision.
"I am proud to announce that I’ve asked @walzforgovernor to be my running mate," Harris wrote in the Instagram post.
"One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle-class families run deep. It’s personal.
"He grew up in a small town in Nebraska, spending summers working on his family’s farm. His father died of cancer when he was 19, and his family relied on Social Security survivor benefit checks to make ends meet. At 17, he enlisted in the National Guard, serving for 24 years. He used his GI Bill benefits to go to college, and become a teacher. He served as both the football coach and the advisor of the Gay-Straight Alliance.
"I share this background both because it’s impressive in its own right, and because you see in no uncertain terms how it informs his record. He worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments. He cut taxes for working families. He passed a law to provide paid family and medical leave to Minnesotan families.
"He made Minnesota the first state in the country to pass a law providing constitutional abortion protections after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and as an avid hunter, he passed a bill requiring universal background checks for gun purchases.
"But what impressed me most about Tim is his deep commitment to his family: Gwen, Gus, and Hope. Doug and I look forward to working with him and Gwen to build an administration that reflects our shared values.
"Whether you are a supporter, a volunteer, a donor, a member of our staff, or your name is on the ticket: you are part of the people-powered campaign that is going to defeat Donald Trump.
"We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team. We are going to win this election.
"So let’s get to work. Join our campaign at the link in my bio."
On Friday, Harris announced a detailed economic agenda that her opponent, Donald Trump, compared to being "straight out of Venezuela or the Soviet Union," according to The New York Times.
"My plan will include new penalties for opportunistic companies that exploit crises and break the rules, and we will support smaller food businesses that are trying to play by the rules and get ahead," Harris said.
"We will help the food industry become more competitive ... more competition means lower prices for you and your families."
She promised to eliminate medical debt for Americans, a historic ban on price-gouging for groceries, and a cap on prescription drug costs.
The vice president also proposed a $25,000 subsidy for first-time home buyers and a child tax credit that would provide $6,000 per child to families for the first year of a baby’s life.
"I know what home ownership means. It’s more than a financial transaction. It’s so much more than that," she said during her rally.
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"It’s a symbol of the pride that comes with hard work. It’s financial security. It represents what you will be able to do for your children."
"Sadly, right now, it is out of reach for far too many American families. ... As president, I will work in partnership with industry to build the housing we need both to rent and to buy," she added.