Former President Joe Biden’s slurred line calling the country the "United States of Amerigotit" at a Washington LGBTQ conference Friday is fueling fresh Republican questions about his health and judgment, even as he used the stage to attack President Donald Trump and "MAGA Republicans" over equality and the Constitution.
Biden, 83, spoke at the International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference, hosted by the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, where he received the Chris Abele Impact Award for what organizers describe as historic gains on LGBTQ+ rights during his administration.
The annual gathering drew hundreds of elected officials and activists to the capital at a moment when Trump’s administration is rolling back protections and reshaping federal policy on gender, schools, and civil rights.
Building to a familiar patriotic crescendo, Biden urged attendees to "continue the fight" for equality and not lose heart. "We just have to get up. As long as we keep the faith … and remember who the hell we are. We’re the United States of Amerigotit, that’s who we are! We’re the U.S.!” he shouted, mangling the nation’s name in a clip that quickly went viral.
He continued, "All of us are dismayed by the present state of the union. This is no time to give up. It’s time to get up. Get up and fight back… it’s about protecting the Constitution."
Biden accused President Donald Trump and "MAGA Republicans" of trying to "distort and derail our fight for equality" and turn it into something "scary, something sinister," saying the push for LGBTQ rights is about "basic decency, dignity, and respect," according to Fox News.
Conservative media and Republicans quickly framed the stumble as the latest in a long line of verbal misfires.
During his presidency, Biden at one point referred to Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump," mixed up foreign leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "losing the war in Iraq" when he meant Ukraine. He also confused Egypt with Mexico in comments about the Israel-Hamas war, Reuters reported.
Conservatives are already citing the gaffe at Friday’s LGBTQ forum as fresh evidence that Democrats and major media outlets downplayed Biden’s condition while he was commander in chief, even as they now scrutinize Trump’s every misstatement.
Allies of the former president counter that occasional slips are common for politicians and argue that the focus should remain on his policy record and his role in advancing same-sex marriage and other protections.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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