The mother of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley criticized President Biden for mispronouncing her daughter’s name during the State of the Union speech, calling him “pathetic” for the mistake.
In response to a Facebook post celebrating the passage of the Laken Riley Act, Allyson Philips wrote, “Biden does not even KNOW my child’s name – it [sic] pathetic!” She insisted that if Biden was going to say her daughter’s name, he should at least say it correctly.
During the speech, Biden accidentally referred to the 22-year-old nursing student, who was murdered on the University of Georgia campus two weeks prior, as “Lincoln Riley.”
Laken Riley and Biden (Credits: Fox News)
Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Ga.) urged him to say her name correctly, yelling out, “Say her name!” from the audience. Biden responded by saying, “Lincoln — Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal,” while holding a button with Riley’s name on it given to him by Greene.
The suspect arrested for Riley’s killing, 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, is a migrant from Venezuela. He and his older brother, Diego, were free in the Athens, Ga., area despite both being linked to the deadly Tren de Aragua gang. A third brother, Argeinis Ibarra, 24, was reportedly arrested in the college town the day after Riley was murdered.
Biden’s comments on immigration during the speech also drew criticism. He urged Republicans to sign a bipartisan bill on immigration legislation rejected in February, which he said would “save lives and bring order to the border.”
However, National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and others opposed the measure, citing concerns about border security and other provisions.
Despite Biden’s efforts to address the immigration crisis, critics argue that his administration has failed to enforce existing immigration rules.
The number of encounters at the southern border reached 2.4 million in the 2023 fiscal year, the highest ever recorded, leading to accusations that the administration is not effectively controlling the influx of migrants.
Riley’s family, aware of the border crisis and its impact, expressed frustration with the current immigration policies. Riley’s stepmother, Amanda Stasko Holt, criticized the political posturing, calling for action to close the borders to prevent criminals from entering the country.
Biden’s choice of words, particularly his use of “illegal” instead of “undocumented,” also drew criticism. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that Biden should have used the term “undocumented” instead. Biden struggled to defend his choice of words when questioned about it, highlighting the sensitivity of the issue.
Riley’s parents declined an invitation to the State of the Union from GOP Rep. Mike Collins, who reserved a seat in honor of Laken and all American victims of illegal alien crime.
