QUOTE OF THE DAY: Biden’s Disastrous Putin Gaffe Caused by His Irish-ness
Former Obama defense secretary Leon Panetta on Monday suggested that Joe Biden’s Irish heritage was partially to blame for controversial remarks the president made recently about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
THE QUOTE
During an appearance on CNN, Panetta criticized Biden for creating “some confusion that wasn’t helpful” by appearing to call for Putin’s removal from power.
Former Obama Defense Secretary Leon Panetta:
Biden made comments that the White House needed to walk back because "Joe Biden, you know, is Irish." pic.twitter.com/LlYSZHFuNN
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 29, 2022
Panetta, however, also defended Biden, saying the president’s remarks were motivated by his “compassion.”
- “I happen to think that Joe Biden, you know, he’s Irish, really has a great deal of compassion when he sees that people are suffering. And I think it overwhelmed him in the sense of seeing all of the horrors that were resulting from this war.”
WHAT BIDEN SAID
While delivering an address in Warsaw on Saturday, the president said Putin “cannot remain in power.”
- The White House quickly walked back Biden’s remarks, claiming he was not speaking about regime change.
- “I was expressing my outrage at the behavior of this man,” Biden himself said Monday.