President Joe Biden has come under fire after he appeared to search the White House for a congresswoman who passed away last month.
The president addressed a crowd at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health yesterday (28 September), when his administration pledged $8 billion towards helping to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030.
At one point during his address, Biden set about thanking the lawmakers who were involved in the matter, taking a look around the room and starting off by naming senators Mike Braun and Cory Brooker.
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The third lawmaker he named was 'Jackie', but the president looked confused as he wasn't able to spot her in the crowd:
Though Biden didn't mention Jackie's last name, he is thought to have been referencing Representative Jackie Walorski; a politician who represented Indiana's 2nd Congressional District as a Republican for nine years.
The issue with Biden's apparent search for Walorski comes with the fact that the politician passed away last month, when she was involved in a car crash with two of her aides.
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Walorski's office announced her death in a statement, saying that she had 'returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ'.
Biden was definitely aware of Walorski's passing as he released a statement alongside First Lady Jill Biden in the wake of her death, writing: "Jill and I are shocked and saddened by the death of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski of Indiana along with two members of her staff in a car accident today in Indiana."
Naturally, then, people have been left confused by his attempts to address Walorski this week.
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He commented: "I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan, elected officials like representative of government Sen. Braun, Sen. Booker, Representative Jackie, are you here? Where's Jackie? I think - she was gonna be here - to help make this a reality."
Biden has come under fire by internet users including Piers Morgan, who slammed the president's comments as 'so embarrassing, and so insulting to her family'.
Congressman Ronny Jackson tweeted: "Today Biden forgot about the tragic passing of Jackie Walorski. It’s disgraceful and embarrassing! He can’t remember anything! THIS is the leader of the free world?? Terrifying!! We deserve MUCH better!!"
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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sought to offer an explanation for the blunder following Biden's address, claiming Biden was simply 'acknowledging [Walorski's] incredible work' and that the representative was 'clearly on top of his mind'.
Morgan dismissed Jean-Pierre's explanation as a 'blatant, pathetic & deliberate lie', adding: "The White House should just admit the President forgot she was dead, despite issuing a supposedly heartfelt statement about her death."
UNILAD has contacted the White House for comment.
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Topics: Joe Biden, US News, Piers Morgan
