I cannot imagine a white American adult who would be ignorant enough to call a 55-year-old black man — a spectacularly wealthy and famous one, to boot — a “boy” in 2023.
But then, I couldn’t imagine a president like Joseph Robinette Biden before 2020. Or 2021, or 2022.
Guess what the two have in common?
On Saturday, Biden was the most illustrious speaker in attendance at the Congressional Black Caucus’ 52nd Annual Legislative Conference. Also in attendance, according to the New York Post, was rapper LL Cool J (legal name James Todd Smith) who, along with fellow hip-hop artist MC Lyte, was receiving the Phoenix Award for their artistic contributions.
So, naturally, things went off without a hitch for the president.
“Two of the great artists of our time representing the groundbreaking legacy of hip hop in America, LL Jay Cool J, uhhh…” Biden said, with the crowd having a hearty laugh at the 80-year-old Biden trying to get out the name of a rap artist who’s been in the public eye for almost 40 years now.
The audience did not, it’s worth noting, laugh so strongly at the next gaffe.
“By the way that boy — that man’s got biceps bigger than my thighs,” Biden said — quickly (but not too quickly) catching himself before moving onto MC Lyte.
Joe Biden on LL Cool J: “LL J Cool J, uhh, by the way, that boy’s got— that man’s got biceps bigger than my thighs”
— ALX ?? (@alx) September 25, 2023
This went over as well as you might expect on social media:
Joe Biden calls LL Cool J “boy” . I think his mind is stuck in the 60s. pic.twitter.com/8zUyaeQLlT
— Malachi Maxey (@malachimaxeyusa) September 24, 2023
Jim Crow Joe Biden. Calling LL Cool J, a little boy. Tony, the man this is a Jim Crow democrat. and you will find a lot of Democrats make an excuse for this ignorant racist Democrat pic.twitter.com/H29Ae9H3hZ
— Don Salmon (@dijoni) September 24, 2023
Oh.
President Biden refers to rapper LL Cool J as ‘boy’ while speaking to Congressional Black Caucus https://t.co/DnWZiI4cEU via @nypost
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) September 24, 2023
LL Cool J is a 55 year old black man with an iconic music and acting career, and Biden referred to him as “that boy”.
AT A CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS EVENT.
I’m sorry. I can’t get over it. It’s too good.
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 24, 2023
No wonder they make him read off the teleprompter!
— Marcus J. Luck (@MarcusJLuckMG) September 25, 2023
Out of the heart the mouth speaks he meant it that’s how he truly feels
— kay (@slim0304) September 24, 2023
And yet, this is a president who envisions white supremacists everywhere. In fact, he went so far as to call “white supremacy … the most dangerous threat to our homeland” in a speech at historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
“And I’m not saying this because I’m at a black HBCU,” he said. “I say it wherever I go.”
BIDEN at Howard University: “The most dangerous terrorist threat to our homeland is white supremacy, and I’m not saying this because I’m at a Black HBCU…” pic.twitter.com/qPL3bkGsCx
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 13, 2023
Likewise, American intelligence and federal law enforcement agencies have responded accordingly. Perhaps they should start by bugging the Oval Office.
But remember: This gaffe won’t hurt Biden in the slightest.
Remember, this is the man who, in the heat of the early stages of the 2020 primary season, told an audience that “poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.”
Joe Biden slip-up in Iowa tonight.
“Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.”
Yikes…have fun mitigating that one. pic.twitter.com/m2VxZbnFHF
— Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) August 9, 2019
This was after the earliest scandal of his campaign, a series of remarks in which he touted his work with segregationist Dixiecrats during the 1970s as a sign of civility in Washington and evidence he was good at “bringing people together,” according to The Washington Post.
According to the Post, one of these was Sen. James Eastland, a notorious racist and polybigot from Mississippi. “He never called me ‘boy,’” Biden said of Eastland in the 2019 speech. “He always called me ‘son.’”
[firefly_poll]
Quoth the Post: “Biden’s campaign didn’t immediately return a request for comment about why it would be notable that the Dixiecrat — who thought black Americans belonged to an ‘inferior race’ and warned that integration would cause ‘mongrelization’ — didn’t call Biden ‘boy,’ a racial epithet deployed against black men.”
Well, probably because Saturday wasn’t the first time Biden’s used the epithet himself. And I’m not talking in the 1970s:
BIDEN: “I’m here, uh, uh, eh, the FEMA’s director’s on, uh, uh, FEMA Director Criswell, she’s on. And I’m here with, uh, with my senior adviser and a boy who knows Louisiana very, very well, man, and, and New Orleans, Cedric Richmond.” pic.twitter.com/kCm33nykma
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 30, 2021
But remember:
.@JoeBiden: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” @cthagod: “It don’t have nothing to do with Trump, it has to do with the fact — I want something for my community.” @breakfastclubam pic.twitter.com/endvWnOIV2
— America Rising (@AmericaRising) May 22, 2020
Sure.
And this isn’t even to touch on Biden’s remarks about Barack Obama before he became Obama’s veep, his comments about fighting systemic racism by leaving the record player on at night, his insinuation that Hispanics must automatically be illegal immigrants — you know, fun stuff like that.
The fact is, Biden will be allowed to skate by much of the media because he’s seen as the only credible candidate the Democrats have in 2024, the same way he was seen as the most credible candidate the party could put forward in 2020. Once his spin doctors have their way with this, the establishment media won’t care a whit.
On both levels, then, this latest incident is profoundly sad — and the most Biden-esque thing that could have happened this weekend.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
