During Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, a notable moment that will likely be remembered revolves around his mishandling of the name of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who fell victim to violence perpetrated by an illegal immigrant under Biden’s open borders policies. In a clear display of dissent, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) distributed pins in the chamber bearing the message “Say Her Name: Laken Riley” and vocalized the plea during Biden’s speech. The president, however, fumbled and mistakenly referred to her as “Lincoln Riley,” sparking criticism.
In a move that some perceive as minimizing the gravity of Riley’s murder, Biden, after his slip, attempted to draw attention to the broader issue of violence. He stated, “That’s right, but how many of the thousands of people are being killed by legals?” This redirection and the subsequent attempt to connect it to his personal experience of losing children garnered disapproval, with critics asserting that it further detracted from acknowledging the specific tragedy and its impact on Riley’s family.
Media outlets received Biden’s prepared remarks, which notably lacked any reference to Laken Riley, making the verbal mix-up an unscripted moment. Some observers found Biden’s mispronunciation and attempt to rationalize the error more disrespectful than if he had chosen to omit Riley’s name altogether. National Review contributor Pradheep J. Shanker commented on this, highlighting the inadvertent insult caused by getting the name wrong.
Monica Crowley concurred, expressing that Biden’s confusion was more disgraceful than choosing silence. Mollie Hemingway from The Federalist questioned Biden’s intentions, noting his comparison of Riley’s murder to the natural death of his adult son and the ensuing ambiguity. Commentators such as Clay Travis of Outkick and Sean Davis from The Federalist emphasized Biden’s evident cognitive challenges, with Travis characterizing Biden’s brain as “mush” and Davis highlighting the stark contrast between Lincoln Riley, a male college football coach, and Laken Riley, the victim of the crime.
