The White House is pushing back on the notion President Joe Biden issued an apology for calling an alleged killer āillegal.ā
On Monday, a reporter asked White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton if the president āfeels like he needs to apologize to illegal immigrants for calling them what they are, or using the term illegal?ā
āFirst of all, I want to be really clear about something. The president absolutely did not apologize. There was no apology anywhere in that conversation. He did not apologize. He used a different word,ā Dalton responded.
She also noted Biden spoke āpassionately about what it means to lose a child.ā
Dalton went on to say it is āunconscionable that there are some people who are playing Politics with this young womanās tragic murder.ā
Listen to the audio below:
During an interview with MSNBC, Biden was asked about a moment during his State of the Union address when he talked about the murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley, allegedly by an illegal immigrant, and his decision to call her alleged killer āillegal.ā
āI shouldnāt have used illegal, itās undocumented,ā the president said.
He went on, āAnd look, when I spoke about the difference about Trump and me, one of the things I talked about on the border was the way he talks about vermin, about these people polluting the blood. I told you what Iām not going to do, what I wonāt do, Iām not going to treat any of these people with disrespect.ā
āLook, they built the country⦠We have to control the border ā a more orderly flow. But I donāt share his view at all,ā Biden added.
When asked if he regrets using the term, Biden said, āYes.ā
During his State of the Union address, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) shouted, āLaken Riley⦠say her name!ā
Biden picked up a pin in honor of Riley but then mispronounced her name, saying, āLincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.ā
āThatās right⦠but how many thousands of people are being killed by illegals?ā he asked.
Biden added, āTo her parents, I say my heart goes out to you having lost children myself, I understand.ā
