White House claims Biden ‘did not apologize’ for using ‘illegal’ to describe Laken Riley’s alleged migrant killer
The White House on Monday pushed back against claims President Biden apologized for using the term “illegal” to describe the migrant accused of killing Laken Riley — just days after the president said he had “regret” for using the loaded term.
Biden, 81, had received a deluge of backlash from Democrats — including Nancy Pelosi — after using the word “illegal” when speaking about the 22-year-old nursing student’s alleged killer during his State of the Union address.
The president then appeared to backtrack in an interview that aired on MSNBC Sunday, saying he had “regret” for using “illegal” instead of the more neutral “undocumented.”
But White House deputy spokesperson Olivia Dalton attempted to clarify on Monday, telling a reporter that “the president absolutely did not apologize” despite his expression of regret.
“There was no apology anywhere in that conversation,” Dalton told reporters on Air Force One. “He did not apologize. He used a different word. I think what we should be really clear about is the facts.”
“In addition to the fact, that you know, the president did not apologize, I want to make another thing clear — the president spoke directly to this in the State of the Union address, naught four nights ago, when he spoke passionately about knowing what it means to lose a child and extended his deep grief and condolences to Laken Riley’s family in front of the entire country in the House chamber,” the White House spokesperson added, referencing Biden’s heated unscripted SOTU moment after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) prompted him to speak about Riley.
Dalton then said it was “unconscionable” how “some people” are “playing politics with this young woman’s tragic murder.” She also slammed House Republicans for “standing in the way of a bipartisan border security agreement” due to pressure from GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump.
Biden has called on House Republicans to pass the bipartisan bill that would give him greater authority to deal with the border. The bill, however, has been denounced by some GOP lawmakers for giving the president redundant powers and being tied to funding for Ukraine and Israel.
Republicans, including Trump, have fiercely criticized Biden for mispronouncing Riley’s name as “Lincoln” twice during his State of the Union address.
“I know how to say her name,” Biden began the exchange with Greene after the Republican yelled out from the crowd, holding up a Laken Riley pin that the representative gave him.
“Lincoln — Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal,” Biden went on.
Biden spoke about illegal immigration again during his campaign stop in New Hampshire on Monday, saying “we need an orderly process at the border.”
“They’re not vermin, they’re not scum, they’re not people who are all criminals coming…” Biden trailed off while the audience at the NH headquarters applauded him.
Trump has blasted Biden repeatedly for erring on her name and claimed the president was “apologizing” when he said he had “regret” over saying “illegal” — a term deemed politically incorrect by many on the left.
The former president met with Riley’s family before his rally in Rome, Georgia.
