President Joe Biden made a significant error on Sunday by asserting that he served as vice president during the pandemic and that former President Barack Obama dispatched him to Detroit, Michigan, with the intention of “assisting in its resolution.” This factually incorrect statement was made during a dinner organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Detroit, as reported by the Daily Beast.
BIDEN: "When I was vice president, things were kinda bad during the pandemic…"
(Biden was not vice president during the pandemic) pic.twitter.com/McZXfjgr2u
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 20, 2024
“And when I was vice president, things were kinda bad during the pandemic, and what happened was Barack said to me, ‘Go to Detroit and help fix it!’” Biden told attendees.
Biden’s departure from the vice presidency occurred in January 2017, which was over three years prior to the coronavirus outbreak that compelled former President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency in March 2020. Interestingly, it was former Vice President Mike Pence who held the position during the pandemic.
This blunder coincides with the recent Harvard-Harris poll, revealing that a majority of voters, specifically over 60%, perceive Biden’s “public lapses” to be occurring with increasing frequency.
According to the poll released on Monday, a majority of voters, comprising almost half of Democrats, stated that Biden’s “lapses” are occurring with increased frequency. The majority of Republicans and a significant portion of independents also share this belief. On the other hand, a minority of respondents, including a majority of Democrats, a small percentage of Republicans, and a notable portion of independents, believe that Biden’s lapses are becoming less frequent.
