In advance of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union, he was confronted by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who demanded he say the name of Laken Riley, the slain University of Georgia student police alleged was killed by a migrant.
Riley’s death has become the cause célèbre of those pushing fears over the migrant crisis in the U.S., and at the speech, numerous Republicans wore buttons bearing her name.
This morning, House Republicans passed the Laken Riley Act, which would require the detention of any illegal immigrant in the U.S. arrested for larceny and theft. The suspect in Riley’s death, Jose Ibarra, who crossed into the U.S. illegally, had been previously arrested for shoplifting and given a citaiton.
While discussing a potential border bill, which he called “winner for America,” Biden paused while delivering his speech.
“An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal,” Biden said. “To her parents I say, my hearts go out to you, having lost children myself.”
Unfortunately, his delivery of her name, which wasn’t in his prepared remarks, left something to be desired.
“Lincoln Riley,” it appears Biden said.
Online, Biden faced criticism for mispronouncing her name as well as his handling of the border.
“My God I’ve never seen a POTUS this unnerved by heckling. He said “Lincoln Riley” was “killed by an illegal.” Her name is #LakenRiley. Joe You let her killer in That’s the #StateOfTheUnion under your administration,” wrote one far-right columnist.
“Biden just said ‘Lincoln Riley’ instead of Laken Riley,” said Trump’s former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. ‘How many thousands of people are being killed by illegals?’ he asks. Then he expresses sympathy for the family. This was a completely insensitive moment. Lacking in compassion. Just wow…”
“Just appalling,” wrote another
That wasn’t his only major gaffe on the night, though. He also called in-vitro fertilization “AVF.”
