Former U.S. President Joe Biden recently came under intense criticism for saying that a Syracuse University trustee resembled Barack Obama. While some berated Biden, others have defended him, showcasing a clear divide among online users.
Joe Biden criticized for his recent Barack Obama comment
On April 14, Joe Biden attended his portrait unveiling ceremony at Syracuse University, his alma mater. During the event, he addressed the University’s trustee, Jeffrey Scruggs, saying that he resembled the 44th US President, Barack Obama.
Before beginning his speech, Biden invited Scruggs to stand next to him, saying, “I always want to turn around to one guy and say, ‘Barack, what are you doing?’” When the trustee stood there, the Democrat joked, “I feel like he should be standing on the right and I should be standing on the left. Doesn’t he look just like Barack?”
His comment drew laughter from the trustee and the audience at the event. However, users on X (formerly Twitter) responded very differently. One user wrote, “Admittedly, all black people look the same to Joe…”
A second user commented, “He was apparently the president of the United States a little over a year ago.”
A third user said, “They need to retire him from public appearances like this. He’s been unfit for a long time.”
“Are we just now accepting the fact he’s a racist?” responded another.
Another pointed out, “I look forward to seeing if any democrats actually say something about this. If Trump said this, people would be calling for his head.”
While some users continue to criticize Biden’s remark, others have jumped in to defend it. One user replied, “I don’t see a problem with this. He does look like Obama. Bunch of idiots crying for nothing.”
Chris D. Jackson posted, “He’s not under fire from anyone except right-wing loons. The guy literally looks like him.”
“I don’t even like the guy, but y’all are so stupid! Saying someone looks like someone else is a common thing! And I know you liberals at TMZ are probably jumped on the offense bandwagon,” defended another.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on Mandatory.
