In an interview with Black Entertainment Television (BET) on Wednesday, President Joe Biden seems to have forgotten the name of his own Secretary of Defense, calling Lloyd Austin the “Black man.”
In the interview, Biden took pride in his track record of promoting Black individuals to positions of leadership and said he has drawn criticism for it.
“It’s all about treating people with dignity. For example, look at the heat I’m getting because I named a, uh, the secretary of defense, [the or a] Black man.” Biden said.
Then, he mispronounced Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson of the Supreme Court as just “Ketanji Brown.”
“I mean, because of the people I’ve named. It’s about making it clear that American history is Black history, Black history is American history, and it’s being built by it. That’s why we’re strong.” he continued.
Biden has faced criticism in the past for his comments regarding race and Black voters.
Biden forgets Lloyd Austin's name and refers to him as "the black man." Let's see how the Biden dead-enders spin this one. https://t.co/X0QZyj0Owf
— Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) July 18, 2024
In 2020, Biden claimed that Black voters who were undecided about voting for him were not Black. In 2019, he faced criticism for saying that “poor kids” were equally intelligent and gifted as White children.
[READ MORE: New Poll Shows Almost One Half of Dems Think Biden No Longer Mentally Fit]