President Joe Biden's remarks during a Native American event in Arizona took an unexpected turn when he referred to former Representative Gabby Giffords, who is very much alive, in the past tense.
According to Mediaite, the incident occurred while Biden was acknowledging Senator Mark Kelly, Giffords' husband, during his speech at the Gila River Indian Community.
The president's comments came during an event where he was set to deliver a historic apology to Native Americans for past government actions regarding boarding schools. His reference to Giffords sparked immediate attention due to her well-known survival story.
During his introduction, Biden acknowledged Governor Stephen Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community and proceeded to give recognition to Senator Mark Kelly. In his remarks about Kelly, the president appeared to speak of Giffords in the past tense, despite her being alive and continuing her recovery journey.
Biden's full statement during the event included self-introduction and acknowledgment of the tribal community before making the reference to Giffords. The statement raised eyebrows among observers familiar with Giffords' story.
This wasn't Biden's first instance of prematurely referring to someone as deceased. In 2010, while serving as vice president, he made a similar mistake regarding the mother of Ireland's prime minister, asking for a blessing for her soul despite her being alive.
Giffords, a former Democratic congresswoman, survived a horrific shooting incident near Tucson in 2011. The incident resulted in her being shot in the head, leading to her eventual resignation from the House of Representatives.
The former congresswoman's recovery journey has been extensively documented in the media. She continues to be an active voice in American political discourse, making Biden's reference particularly noticeable.
During the event, Biden delivered the following statement:
I'm Joe Biden, Jill Biden's husband. Governor, thank you for the introduction. And to the – Gila River Indian Community – for welcoming me today. You know, I say this with all sincerity. This, to me, is one of the most consequential things I've ever had the opportunity to do in my career as President of the United States. it is an honor, a genuine honor to be in this special place on this special day. Thank you to Senator Mark Kelly, a great friend who also was married to an incredible woman who was my friend.
The primary purpose of Biden's visit to Arizona was to deliver an unprecedented apology to Native Americans. The president addressed the historical trauma inflicted through boarding school programs that operated for 150 years, ending in the 1960s.
These programs resulted in numerous deaths and cases of abuse among Native American children who were forcibly relocated to these institutions. Biden's apology marked the first time a U.S. president officially acknowledged and apologized for these historical actions.
The incident exemplifies how a brief verbal misstep can capture public attention even during historically significant moments. Biden's reference to Giffords, while unintentional, momentarily overshadowed the important message he was delivering to the Native American community.
The event's dual narrative - Biden's verbal slip regarding Giffords and his historic apology to Native Americans - demonstrates how presidential communications can generate multiple storylines from a single appearance. The speech ultimately achieved its primary goal of delivering a long-awaited apology while inadvertently creating an additional talking point about verbal accuracy in public addresses.
