President Joe Biden found himself at the center of controversy on Thursday as a video of him making remarks about unemployment and diversity went viral, drawing both criticism and support from various quarters.
The WJTV, on Friday, September 15, 2023, reported that during a speech delivered at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland, President Biden discussed his administration’s economic policies, often referred to as “Bidenomics.”
In the speech, he touted his administration’s achievements, stating;
“We’ve created 13.4 million new jobs. We not only recovered all the jobs we lost during the pandemic, we’ve added millions more.”
However, it was President Biden’s remarks regarding unemployment and specific demographics that sparked the online backlash.
He emphasized;
“We’ve seen record lows in unemployment, particularly — and I’ve focused on this my whole career — particularly for African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans, you know, the workers without high-school diplomas.”
Critics immediately seized upon these comments, with some accusing the president of making racially insensitive statements.
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), who is African American, voiced his displeasure, saying;
“Another day, another racist comment from Biden. Crickets from the mainstream media.”
Attorney Aaron Walker also weighed in, asserting;
“I keep saying I am almost 51 years old and Joe Biden is the most explicitly racist president in my lifetime. Good lord.”
National GOP spokeswoman Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, a former congressional candidate, expressed her disbelief with a series of emojis, exclaiming, “Nooo, he didn’t .”
However, President Biden didn’t stop there. He went on to highlight his commitment to diversity in his administration.
“You know, and, by the way, when I got elected, I promised that I wanted an administration that would look like America,” he stated.
“I got more women in the Cabinet than any president has ever in history. And I got more women — more women than men in the Cabinet.”
President Biden also emphasized his appointments to the judiciary, saying;
“And I put more black women on the appellate court and the Supreme Court than every other president combined in American history.”
The president’s comments on diversity were met with mixed reactions, with some applauding his efforts to promote inclusion and diversity within his administration, while others questioned the focus on gender and race in these appointments.
As the debate surrounding President Biden’s remarks continues to unfold, it underscores the challenges and complexities of addressing issues related to unemployment and diversity in the United States, especially in the current political climate.
