On Friday, President Joe Biden honored law enforcement officers and election officials for their commitment to democracy and holding the line on January 6th. But during the ceremony, he misspoke when referring to the date of the Capitol riot.
This has sparked debate among Republicans who feel that Biden is not taking the event seriously enough. While some have accepted his apology, others feel his mistake discredits those who were involved in protecting the Capitol that day. The ceremony was held outside of the White House on Friday afternoon. Biden thanked all those in attendance for their courage and commitment to preserving democracy on January 6th. He noted that history will remember them for standing up against domestic terrorism and doing what was right for America.
Though most of his remarks were met with applause from those in attendance, Republicans are now criticizing him for misspeaking when referencing the date of the riot. During his speech, he said “July 6” instead of “January 6.” After quickly correcting himself, he went on to thank those involved again and acknowledge that they will never be able to fully repay their debt of gratitude to these individuals unless they live up to what they did on that day.
“If I can halt for a second and just say to you the impact what happened on July 6 had international repercussions beyond what I think any of you can fully understand,” Biden said.
Republicans have had varying reactions to this event, with some feeling insulted by Biden’s mistake while others accepting his apology without hesitation. Some feel that by misspeaking about such an important date, President Biden is not taking the threat of domestic terrorism seriously enough or respecting those who put their lives on the line to protect our democracy. Others feel this was simply an honest mistake and appreciate him taking time out of his day to honor these individuals regardless.
