In a recent interview with Philadelphia’s WURD radio station, President Joe Biden made a notable verbal slip, incorrectly referring to himself as America’s “first black woman to serve with a black president.” The comment appeared to confuse his role with that of Vice President Kamala Harris.
During the interview, Biden stated, “By the way, I’m proud to be the, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman, served with a black president, proud of the first black woman in the Supreme Court,” according to a social media post on X (formerly Twitter).
In context, Biden’s intended reference should have been to Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, who made history with their respective elections in 2008 and 2020. Obama became the first black president, while Harris became both the first black vice president and the first woman to hold that position. Biden had served as vice president during Obama’s administration from 2009 to 2017.
Regarding the Supreme Court, Biden was referring to Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black female justice appointed by his administration in 2022.
During the same interview, Biden also referred to himself as the “first president that got elected statewide in the state of Delaware, when I was a kid.” Biden had represented Delaware for 36 years in the US Senate from 1973 to 2009.
This latest verbal misstep has intensified ongoing concerns about Biden’s cognitive health and his ability to serve a second term. The gaffe comes on the heels of a challenging debate with former President Donald Trump during the US presidential election campaign, further raising questions about his fitness for office.
Despite mounting pressure and calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 reelection race, Biden reiterated his determination to remain in office during an Independence Day celebration at the White House on Thursday. Responding to a supporter’s encouragement to “keep up the fight,” the 81-year-old president affirmed, “You got me, man. I’m not going anywhere.”
