President Biden has butchered another speech in which he called legendary rapper LL Cool J a “boy” after mispronouncing his name during the Congressional Black Caucus on Saturday night.
LL Cool J and MC Lyte received Phoenix Awards for their musical contributions at the annual ceremony in Washington DC.
On stage, the 80-year-old Biden said: “Two of the great artists of our time who represent the groundbreaking legacy of hip-hop in America, LL Jay Cool J, uhhh…” – as the audience laughed at his latest blunder’s name from the rapper before quickly correcting himself.
But then he added, “By the way, that boy, that man has biceps bigger than my thighs.”
Footage of the speech was quickly reposted by right-wing RNC Research on social media, where commentators were quick to point out that referring to African Americans as “boy” is widely considered a derogatory term.
Joe Biden butchered his speech at the Congressional Black Caucus on Saturday night
The 80-year-old president called legendary rapper LL Cool J a “boy” after mispronouncing his name
On X, formerly Twitter, one user said: “Ohhh god make it stop PLLEASE. He’s making a total mockery of this country.”
Another accused him of being an “ignorant racist Democrat.”
This isn’t the first time the president has gotten in trouble for using the term.
Biden was heavily criticized earlier this year when he called Maryland’s first black governor, Wes Moore, a “boy.”
“You have a great new governor in Wes Moore, I can tell you that,” Biden told members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in February.
“He’s the real deal, and the kid looked like he could still play. He has some weapons with him,” he added.
In May, he also raised eyebrows after telling a White House visitor to “shut up, boy” during an event celebrating the Muslim holiday Eid-al-Fitr.
The awkward altercation occurred when the audience member, believed to be a Muslim man, interrupted the president as he marked the occasion in front of a packed crowd.
“Would you like to come and give a speech?” Biden responded after being harassed.
“Quiet, boy, as my mother would say,” he continued in a mock Southern accent.
In 2019, Biden made a similar mistake when he told a crowd on the campaign trail that he could work with all people — even those with whom he disagreed.
He talked about how he worked with James Eastland, a senator and plantation owner from Mississippi, who was an avowed white supremacist. Eastland resigned as senator in 1978 and died in 1986 at the age of 81.
Biden said Eastland respected him, stating, “He never called me ‘boy,’ he always called me ‘son.’
Sen. Cory Booker, who is Black, chided Biden for downplaying his use of the word “boy” to denigrate Black men.
Booker said on CNN that it was inappropriate. “You’re not kidding when you call black men ‘boys,’” he said.
He later added that he had had a constructive conversation with Biden about his use of the term, adding: “This is about calling out a terrible power dynamic that he showed a lack of understanding or insensitivity to by invoking do on this idea he was called. ‘son’ of white segregationists who, yes, see him as their son.’
In 2021, the president also awkwardly referred to Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama, who was 29 at the time, as a “boy.”
He told the Japanese Prime Minister during a press conference: ‘A Japanese boy comes here, and guess what? He won the Masters. He won the Masters. He won the green jacket.’
Biden said: “Two of the great artists of our time who represent the groundbreaking legacy of hip hop in America, LL Jay Cool J, uhhh….”
LL Cool J and MC Lyte received Phoenix Awards for their musical contributions at the annual ceremony in Washington DC
Biden’s gaffe on Saturday night is just the latest in a long line of recent speech disasters, as critics raise increasing concerns about the president’s age and health.
Speaking Thursday in Washington at the 46th annual gala of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Biden had honored Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, for her gala award.
Biden praised her for following the lessons based on the Gospel of Matthew, before incorrectly adding, “The Congressional Black Caucus embodies all of these values.”
Just days ago, Biden repeated the same story twice within minutes at a private fundraising event in New York, sparking further concerns about his age.
It’s a story the president often tells about how the events in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, and Donald Trump’s response, inspired him to run for the White House.
On August 11, 2017, white supremacists and neo-Nazis came to the city and clashes continued the next day.
Biden, who was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, attended a fundraising event at her home hosted by food safety expert Amy Goldman Fowler.
According to a White House pool report on the private event, he began speaking in a living room to about 20 people just after 4 p.m.
Biden discussed his economic record, reflected on his decision to run for president and “talked about the events in Charlottesville” as a reason for his campaign, the report said.
“A few minutes later he retold the story, almost word for word,” the report continued.
The incident occurred after he apparently wandered off stage without shaking hands with the Brazilian president at the end of a joint speech.
And while in Vietnam earlier this month, his lengthy press conference was abruptly ended when his microphone cut out and jazz music played him offstage, as if he was taking too long at an awards ceremony.
Biden was mid-stream answering questions from reporters when he was interrupted and forced to shuffle away and go backstage.
‘We talked about stability, we talked about the Third World, excuse me, the southern hemisphere has access to change. It wasn’t confrontational at all…’ Biden said as he continued walking.
Suddenly the booming voice of his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, intervened.
‘Thanks to everyone. This ends the press conference. Thank you all,” she said as she ended the presser.