Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), criticized President Biden for retracting his statement during the State of the Union address where he referred to a man accused of murder as an “illegal.”
The man responsible for the killing of university student Laken Riley in Georgia is a migrant from Venezuela who did not have authorization to be in the U.S. This incident has sparked controversy among conservatives, who see it as a political issue.
In an MSNBC interview on Saturday, Biden retracted his statement about it being “illegal.”
During an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart, President Biden acknowledged his previous use of the term “illegal” and expressed regret for it. He emphasized the importance of using the term “undocumented” instead. Biden also contrasted his approach to immigration with that of former President Trump, highlighting his commitment to treating all individuals with respect and dignity. He emphasized that he would not engage in dehumanizing language or rhetoric that portrays immigrants as vermin or as a threat to the nation’s purity.
“I will not disrespect any of these individuals, not a single one. They are the ones who have contributed to building this great nation. They are the reason behind our growing economy. It is important to have control over our borders and establish a more organized flow of people, but I do not agree with his perspective,” stated Biden emphatically.
Capehart asked if he regrets using that word.
“Yes,” Biden replied.
On Sunday, Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a potential vice presidential candidate for the GOP, also criticized Biden.
Scott expressed his disgust over Biden’s apology during an interview with Fox News on “Sunday Morning Futures.” He found it appalling and questioned the reasoning behind it, deeming it truly disgusting.
According to Scott, Joe Biden seems more concerned about the terminology used, such as “illegal” or “undocumented,” rather than addressing the real issue at hand. In Scott’s opinion, Biden should be focusing on the word “murderer” instead. Scott points out the contrast between Biden and Trump, noting that while Trump is meeting with the family of Laken Riley, Biden is busy apologizing for his choice of words.
According to Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), it is imperative that we not only refrain from implementing Republican policy but also avoid echoing their rhetoric.
Read More: