Watch: Biden Makes Inappropriate Joke Toward Italian PM, Threatens Her with Jill’s Maiden Name
President Joe Biden managed to insult more than one ethnic group during his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday. “I just want you to know, I was raised in…
President Joe Biden managed to insult more than one ethnic group during his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday.
“I just want you to know, I was raised in a neighborhood where I felt self-conscious my name didn’t end in ‘O,'” Biden said.
“And I want you to know I’m the only non-Italian named the man of the year by the Italian Society,” he continued.
The president added that while he was getting the award, he named all the Italian names of the families he grew up and said, “I was thinking about this … I deserve this award.”
As if the ordeal of being around Italians entitled him to an award from them.
“I may be Irish, but I’m not stupid,” Biden continued, which sounded very much like an insult to the Irish.
“I married Dominic Giacoppa’s granddaughter. I want you to know that, OK? Be nice to me,” he said to the Italian prime minister, gesturing almost threateningly with his hands as if channeling his inner Vito Corleone.
The whole conversation was bizarre and, for any other president, likely would turn into an international incident with accusations of racist undertones. With Biden, however, it’s just par for the course.