Biden draws backlash after telling White House visitor to ‘be quiet, boy’

Joe Biden sparked a backlash after telling a White House visitor to “be quiet, kid” at a White House event celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr.

The awkward conversation came when the audience member, believed to be a Muslim man, interrupted the president as he marked the occasion in front of a packed crowd.

“You want to come and give a speech,” Biden shouted after he began to be yelled at from the audience.

“Shut up, boy,” he continued in a mock Southern accent, a remark met with laughter from the others present.

The blunder quickly sparked backlash because of the historical connotation behind the word “boy,” which has been used as a racist slur against black people.

Biden’s reply was shared by Texas State Representative Sarah Fields, who lashed out at the president after the comments, claiming the person was a military man.

“Imagine another president calling someone ‘boy,'” she said. “Especially someone in our armed forces.”

The controversy over the event comes after New Jersey’s Muslim mayor, Mohamed Khairullah, said he was “bewildered” after being blocked from access to the celebration by the White House Secret Service.

Shortly before he was due to arrive at the White House for the Eid-al-Fitr event, Mayor Mohamed Khairullah said he received a call from the White House stating that he had not been authorized entry by the Secret Service and could not attend. are.

He said the White House official did not explain why the Secret Service blocked his access.