Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi faced criticism after suggesting that President Biden should have used the term “undocumented” instead of “illegal” when referring to Laken Riley’s alleged killer during his State of the Union address.
Pelosi’s comment came during an interview on CNN, where she defended Biden’s choice of words but faced backlash for focusing on semantics rather than the gravity of the crime.
In response to a question from CNN anchor Dana Bash about Biden’s ad-libbed remarks on immigration, Pelosi downplayed the significance of the term “illegal,” stating, “Now he should have said undocumented, but that’s not a big thing, OK?
Joe Biden (Credits: AP News)
What’s the big thing?” Pelosi emphasized that the focus should be on expressing sympathy for Riley’s family, calling the situation a “terrible tragedy.”
Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan immigrant who illegally crossed the border, has been charged with Riley’s murder. Despite Pelosi’s attempt to downplay the issue, social media users criticized her for prioritizing language over the crime itself.
Pelosi’s comments were echoed by Mitch Landrieu, the Biden re-election campaign’s national co-chair, who suggested that Biden should have used a different word but praised his empathy and kindness towards the victims.
However, other Democratic lawmakers were more critical of Biden’s language, with Rep. Ilhan Omar stating, “Let me be clear: No human being is illegal,” and Rep. Chuy García expressing disappointment in Biden’s use of the word “illegal.”
Biden (Credits: Vox)
Progressive Rep. Joaquin Castro went further, accusing Biden of sounding like former President Donald Trump and using “incendiary and wrong” language.
Sen. Laphonza Butler argued that Biden’s use of the term “illegal” was unfortunate but believed that it did not reflect his true feelings towards immigrants.
Despite the criticism, Biden defended his choice of words, stating, “Well, I probably – I don’t regret – technically he’s not supposed to be here,” when asked if he had any regrets about using the term “illegal.”
Hours before Biden’s speech, the House passed the Laken Riley Act, which would require federal authorities to detain any migrant charged with committing burglary or theft.
