Speech Errors and Transcript Corrections
White House officials rushed to correct President Biden’s error-filled speech to the NAACP in Detroit, issuing nine revisions to the official transcript.
The changes addressed Biden’s misstatements, such as calling the Capitol rioters “insurrectionists” and claiming he was still vice president during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Official Transcript Adjustments
The official transcript released Monday highlighted the errors with strikethroughs and included the corrected comments in brackets. The 81-year-old’s address to the 69th annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner was part of an outreach effort to Black Americans, as polls show softening support for Biden within this demographic.
Nine Key Corrections
Vice President During the Pandemic
During his opening, Biden expressed his “love” for Detroit but mistakenly suggested he was vice president during the COVID-19 outbreak. “And when I was vice president, things were kind of bad during the pandemic [recession], and what happened was Barack said to me, ‘Go to Detroit and help fix it,'” the transcript corrected.
Honoured to Receive This Organization
Biden misspoke when he accepted a lifetime achievement award from the Detroit branch of the NAACP: “Folks, I’m humbled to receive this organization [award], which defines the character and consequence of what we do,” he said.
‘Truly Inspiring’
Reflecting on his recent commencement address at Morehouse College, Biden described it as “truly inspiring [inspiring]: over 400 young Black [sic] men who will do extraordinary things,” according to the transcript.
$800,000 in Healthcare Premium Savings
Biden incorrectly stated that Affordable Care Act subsidies could save families $800,000 annually. The corrected statement read: “I protected and expanded the Affordable Care Act, saving millions of families $800,000 in prem- — $8,000 [$800] in — a year in premiums.”
Fighting Landlords Who Keep Rents Down
While discussing efforts to lower living costs, Biden claimed to be fighting landlords trying to keep rents down. The transcript corrected his statement: “We’re cracking down on corporate landlords who [to] keep rents down.”
Black Women ‘Have Nearly Three Times More Likely to Die’
Biden mistakenly used “have” instead of “are” when discussing maternal mortality rates: “He [Trump] not only denies reproductive freedom but worsens the mortality rate for Black [sic] moms, who have [are] nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than a white woman,” he said.
‘Irrectionists’
Biden mispronounced “insurrectionists” as “insurrectionists” while criticizing Trump: “He [Trump] calls the insurrectionists [insurrectionists] who stormed Capitol Hill’ patriots.’ He says, if re-elected, he wants, quote, ‘every’ one of them pardoned,” the transcript noted.
‘Bloodshed’
Biden misquoted Trump as saying “bloodshed” instead of “bloodbath” regarding the auto industry: “Donald Trump has said, if he loses again in November, there will be, quote, ‘bloodshed’ [‘bloodbath’]. What in God’s name are we talking about here?” Biden said.
NAAC
Biden mistakenly referred to the NAACP as “NAAC”: “Earlier this month, I posthumously awarded Medgar Evers the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honour. His spirit endures. The NAAC [NAACP] spirit endures,” the transcript corrected.
Age and Public Perception
Ahead of Biden’s Nov. 5 rematch with Trump, age has become a significant issue. Biden is already the oldest president in US history and would be 86 at the end of a second four-year term. Trump and Biden are scheduled to face off in a CNN-hosted debate on June 27 in Atlanta.
Persistent Rhetorical Missteps
The commander-in-chief has been open about growing up with a stutter and has faced frequent rhetorical challenges. An analysis by the Daily Caller revealed that between the start of the year and late last month, the White House made at least 148 adjustments to transcripts of Biden’s remarks.
As the 2024 election approaches, Biden’s verbal missteps and subsequent corrections will likely remain a topic of scrutiny and discussion, particularly among his critics and the media.
