President Biden bizarrely declared Sunday that things got “kinda bad” when he was vice president during the pandemic — even though COVID-19 hit three years after the Obama administration left office.
“When I was vice president, things were kind of bad during the pandemic and what happened was, Barack said to me, ‘Go to Detroit! Help fix it,’” Biden said during a campaign event with the NAACP on Sunday.
“Well, the poor mayor he’s spent more time with me than he ever thought he’s gonna have to!” Biden added.
Biden’s most recent blunder followed a commencement speech he gave at Morehouse College, where he was caught on camera applauding the valedictorian who called for an “immediate and a permanent ceasefire” in his speech.
The 81-year-old president has pressed for a respite in the fighting in Gaza but has steadily held support for Israel in its war against Hamas — something that has roiled many progressives.
Ahead of his commencement speech, some faculty and students at the historically black, all-male institution vowed not to attend the ceremony in protest.
Others, instead, turned their backs to the commander-in-chief as he spoke of the ongoing conflict.
“I support peaceful nonviolent protest,” Biden told the graduates, prompting several to turn to face away from him.
“Your voices should be heard. I promise you I hear them,” he insisted to the students, many of whom had a kaffiyeh, a traditional scarf associated with the Palestinians, draped over their shoulders.
Biden then addressed the crisis head-on, telling graduates: “It’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, that’s why I’ve called for an immediate ceasefire — an immediate ceasefire to stop the fighting, bring the hostages home and I’ve been working on a deal as we speak.”
“I know it angers and frustrates many of you, including in my family,” he added.
Biden’s visit to Morehouse marked his first significant trip to a college campus since anti-Israel protests began popping up on campuses across the country, though anti-Israel protests at Morehouse were generally more tame than those at other campuses, like Columbia University.
Biden’s address to Morehouse also comes as polls suggest he is losing support among black Americans.
A recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that only a slim majority (55%) of black voters approve of his job performance, while in 2020, 95% of black women and 87% of black men voted for Biden, according to Pew.
A separate poll conducted by NBC News found that Biden only received a 71% to 13% edge with black voters over former President Donald Trump — down from the 87% to 12% score he recorded in 2020 election exit polls.
