Joe Biden made an appearance on Wednesday at a meeting of national union leaders at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, DC.
The atmosphere at the union meeting was notably lackluster, with attendees showing little enthusiasm for the president, despite being compensated for their presence. It felt almost like a “funeral-like” gathering.
“I think of you as my domestic NATO — not a joke,” Biden remarked.
“I said I’m going to be the most pro-union president in American history,” he added. “Well guess what? I am.”
As is often the case, Biden’s speech meandered through various topics.
At one point, Biden attempted to connect with the audience by going off-script, but his efforts quickly derailed.
“You know, I come from a household with a three-bedroom – we weren’t poor, but we didn’t have anything left over at the end of the month and, uh, you know, three-bedroom house, four kids, grandpop lived with us…” Biden said.
He continued, “I look back now and wonder how my dad handled those thin walls.”
After concluding his prepared remarks, Biden went off-script again. He grabbed the microphone and started talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) before the live feed was abruptly cut.
“More minorities! More women! More labor! I’m serious! Think about it! That’s who we are! That’s why we’re strong! That’s why we’re diverse!” Biden exclaimed just before the feed ended.
As Biden continued to ramble about DEI, his handlers quickly ushered the press out of the room.
This incident highlights the challenges Biden faces when speaking without a teleprompter.
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