By James Liddell
President Joe Biden appeared to make another onstage gaffe after mixing up the name of murdered nursing student Laken Riley, twice during his State of the Union address.
The 81-year-old US president spoke to millions of Americans in his annual State of the Union address on Thursday evening. Biden was involved in a number of tiffs with Republican lawmakers, which involved several attacks on his GOP presidential rival, Donald Trump.
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, sporting a MAGA hat, shouted “say her name” toward the president. Biden held up a pin, which Greene had handed him on his way into the chamber, bearing Riley’s name.
READ MORE: Desperate Trump attacks Biden's appearance as senior president delivers flawless State of the Union
“I know how to say her name,” he told the congresswoman who sported a shirt with the slain woman’s name on. He continued: “Lincoln – Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.”
“But how many of thousands of people being killed by legals,” he said before being interrupted by Greene. Lincoln Riley is current coach of the University of Southern California Trojans football team while Laken Riley has become a symbol of the border crisis after an illegal immigrant was charged with her murder.
The president appeared oblivious to the mix-up, before adding: “To her parents, I say my heart goes out to you. Having lost children myself, I understand.”
The 22-year-old nursing student from the University of Georgia went out for a run on February 22 but never returned, having been murdered. Jose Antonio Inbarra, a 26-year-old illegal Venezuelan immigrant has been charged with her murder.
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.
Republicans had hounded the president for not addressing Riley’s murder since her body was on campus. Hours prior to the State of the Union address, the Laken Riley Act was passed by the house, mandating that migrants who enter the country illegally and are accused of theft be taken into federal custody.
After Biden’s blunder, he turned his attention back on Trump, offering to work collaboratively to pass the border security bill. “If my predecessor's watching instead of paying politics and pressuring members of Congress to block the bill, join me in telling the Congress to pass it,” he said. “We can do it together.”
He added that he wouldn't use her death to “demonise immigrants”, directly linking to Trump’s remarks of them “poisoning the blood” of America. A border bill looking to provide more technology and agents flopped after Trump came out against it.
The former president continued to attack Biden’s border policies – which has been a successful weapon in his political arsenal, with immigration being a key issue in the 2024 presidential election. Two weeks ago, Biden went to Brownsville, Texas, where illegal crossings are down. Trump went to Eagle Pass, where it's a huge problem.
“We can fight about fixing the border, or we can fix it,” Biden said. “ I'm ready to fix it. Send me the border bill. Now.”
