Opinion | The author's opinion does not necessarily reflect Sarah Palin's view.
President Joe Biden’s announcement of potential citizenship for immigrants without legal status triggered heavy criticism, with a focus on his notable glitch where he forgot the name of the Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas.
“The Statue of Liberty is not some relic of American history. It still stands for who we are,” Biden said.
“But I also refuse to believe that for us to continue to be America that embraces immigration, we have to give up securing our border. They’re false choices.”
Joe Biden forgets his own HHS Secretary’s name: “Xavier…uh…Mr. Secretary” pic.twitter.com/YQin9q7swf
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 9, 2021
Despite media reports emphasizing positive aspects of Biden’s speech, such as references to immigration and border security, his lapse in recalling important names drew attention.
Criticism and defense regarding the incident surfaced on social media and news outlets, highlighting concerns about Biden’s occasional memory lapses in public appearances.
“And it was exactly the same, except that Biden eventually recalled his DHS secretary’s name, and tried to cover the lapse by saying ‘all kidding aside,'” journalist Rita Panahi wrote.
“And it’s not like this is an uncommon occurrence. Biden has forgotten the name of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra; the name of both Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and what the Pentagon is called; and referred to former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as ‘that fellow Down Under.'”
