Joe Biden Makes Maui Speech About Himself – Joe Biden’s communications team is facing mounting pressure after the President’s speech on the disaster-hit island took a distasteful turn.
Joe Biden’s Hawaii Speech Is a Problem
President Biden, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, landed in the Hawaiian island on Monday, touring the region devastated by a horrific wildfire that has claimed at least 115 lives, with expectations that the death toll will continue to rise as search and rescue operations persist.
The town of Lahaina, situated on Maui’s western coast, was ravaged, with over 1,700 buildings reportedly reduced to ashes.
As scrutiny intensifies over the mental acuity of the 80-year-old President, who is also the frontrunner for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, his visit to Maui raised several questions.
During his visit, Biden met with local officials and first responders, pledging that the federal government would offer unwavering support “for as long as it takes” to aid the island’s recovery from the devastating wildfire. Speaking beneath a 150-year-old banyan tree that bore scars from the inferno, he expressed, “The country grieves with you, stands with you, and will do everything possible to help you recover.”
A Gaffe-prone President Joe Biden
Biden has also faced criticism for allegedly responding with “no comment” when asked about the Hawaii wildfire while cycling near the seaside in Delaware. Reporters had inquired about the death toll, and Biden’s response raised eyebrows. However, earlier, when asked if he would halt cycling to address the ongoing fire, he responded, “We’re looking at it.”
Pronunciation Slip-ups
However, Biden’s speech was marred by difficulties in correctly pronouncing the names of Hawaiian members of Congress and local officials. Senator Brian Schatz, for instance, was referred to as “Brian Schantz,” and a misstep occurred when he tried to name Hawaiian Democratic representative “Jill… er… To.. Tokuda.”
An Exaggerated Anecdote
Adding to the controversy, Biden suggested that he could empathize with the islanders due to a minor 2004 housefire at his Delaware home.
He recounted, “I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, of what it’s like to lose a home. Years ago now, 15 years ago, I was in Washington doing Meet the Press. It was a sunny Sunday.”
“Lightning struck at home, on a little lake that’s outside of our home—not a lake, a big pond—and hit a wire that came up underneath our home into the heating ducts and air conditioning ducts. To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my ’67 Corvette, and my cat.”
However, according to the Cranston Heights Fire Company in 2022, the fire had been swiftly contained, with their statement noting, “For the fire service, this could be considered an insignificant fire as it did not lead to multiple alarms and did not need a widespread incident response throughout the county.”
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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