Biden's apparent gaffe despite ‘nothing wrong with me’ remark implies very alive retired US representative is dead

Another apparent addition to President Joe Biden’s gaffe series made waves in Arizona on Friday, October 25. He seemingly ended up eulogising a very much alive former Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords. His eyebrow-raising remarks followed as he started praising US Senator Mark Kelly.

Welcomed to the stage by Governor Stephen Lewis, the commander-in-chief told Gila River Indian Community, a Native American community, “I’m Joe Biden and I’m Jill Biden’s husband.” He then fumbled for words, trying to place the Native American community’s name a moment later. “Gov, thank you for that introduction. And to the Gila Indian River Community – the Gila… the Gila… nothing wrong with me.” He ultimately regained composure and continued, “The Gila River Indian Community, [thank you] for welcoming me today.”

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Joe Biden mistakenly eulogies very alive former US representative Gabby Giffords

Contrary to his reassurance to the crowd that he was doing alright, the 81-year-old US president seemingly stumbled again. In an apparent verbal blunder, Biden implied that Giffords was dead.

“Thank you to Sen Mark Kelly, a great friend – who also was married to an incredible woman who was my friend,” he added.

Kelly and Giffords have been married since 2007. The former congresswoman resigned from the House of Representatives in 2012, a year after she miraculously survived being shot in the head at a Tucson forum.

Sometime during his recent Arizona address, Biden also acknowledged that he was facing issues reading the teleprompter without his sunglasses, owing to the blazing sun. Taking off his aviators for a second, he initially attempted to speak to the crowd. A minute later, he whipped his trademark accessory back on and confessed, “I’m putting these glasses on because I’m having trouble seeing this.”

Despite the setbacks, the event was rendered historic after the president pulled off something no other sitting president has, according to the Associated Press. Speaking to the Indigenous crowd gathered outside of Phoenix, Biden apologised for the atrocities Native American students were subjected to in boarding school due to the federal government’s play. “I formally apologise, as president of the United States of America, for what we did,” he said. “It’s long, long, long overdue. Quite frankly, there’s no excuse that this apology took 50 years.”

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Responses to Joe Biden's historic apology to Indigenous people

AP further reported that while many welcomed the long-awaited apology with tears in their eyes, they now also urge the government to act upon its words so that they don’t ring hollow.

Bill Hall, a 71-year-old Seattle man claiming to have been 9 when his roots from the Tlingit community in Alaska were ripped apart and he was forced to attend a boarding school said, “But, as I was watching, tears began to flow from my eyes.” He added, “Yes, I accept his apology. Now, what can we do next?” Hall reportedly endured years of physical and sexual abuse at the boarding school.

Meanwhile, a 79-year-old Rosalie Whirlwind Soldier of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe seemed to have also felt “a tingle in my heart,” hearing the apology. Nevertheless, she couldn’t brush off the devastating mistreatment she faced at a South Dakota school that left her painfully limp, among other horrors. “Sorry is not enough. Nothing is enough when you damage a human being,” she said. “A whole generation of people and our future was destroyed for us.”

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