President Joe Biden made a public appearance in Illinois on Thursday, expressing his support for union workers.
As is often the case with his public appearances, the event was not without its share of controversy.
Biden, in his address, revisited several of his familiar talking points, including a number of claims that have been widely disputed. One such claim was his assertion that Americans were largely unaware of what supply chains were before his tenure in the White House. According to Biden, the concept of supply chains was a profound enigma, beyond the comprehension of the average citizen.
Biden stated, "People didn't know what the hell supply chain meant!" This statement was met with a mixed response from the audience.
In addition to his comments on supply chains, Biden also struggled with the seemingly simple task of donning a t-shirt he was given prior to his speech. This incident, while minor, added to the overall spectacle of the event.
During his address, Biden was interrupted by a protestor demanding an immediate "ceasefire" between Israel and Hamas. The crowd responded by booing the protestor, a reaction that was arguably justified. A "ceasefire" in Gaza would merely provide Hamas with the opportunity to regroup and rearm. This was evidenced when Hamas violated a ceasefire agreement on October 7th, resulting in the deaths of over a thousand Israeli civilians. The notion that a lasting peace can be achieved with a terrorist organization like Hamas is a misguided one. While war is undoubtedly tragic and deadly, it is sometimes the only viable option to prevent even worse outcomes in the long term.
Biden's age was evident throughout his speech, with his delivery often appearing strained and erratic. At one point, he began shouting at the audience, a departure from his usual speaking style.
Biden also made a comment that seemed to be a projection of his own concerns. He said, "I hope you S.O. I hope you guys have a memory." Given the numerous instances where Biden has appeared to struggle with his own memory, this comment was met with some skepticism.
In his speech, Biden also made a claim about the state of the economy, stating that "wages are actually going up" and household wealth "has grown by 37%." However, these claims are not supported by the data. Real wages have actually decreased by 3.2% since Biden took office, and middle-class households have lost, on average, more than $33,000 in real wealth in the past year alone.
Biden's claim that wealth has grown by 37 percent since 2019 is particularly perplexing. Upon further investigation, it appears that this increase in "wealth" is largely due to inflation, which has inflated the value of previously owned assets. However, this increase in asset value is largely meaningless, as the cost of living has also increased significantly. Despite this, Biden seemed to consider this a point of pride.
Despite the numerous controversies and missteps, Biden ended his speech with a display of vigor, half-jogging for a few steps before shuffling off the stage. This final act served as a fitting conclusion to an event that was, in many ways, emblematic of Biden's presidency thus far.
Login