U.S. President Joe Biden asked Wednesday if a deceased congresswoman was in the crowd during a speech at a White House conference on hunger and nutrition.
"I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan elected officials like – Senator (Michael) Braun, Senator (Corey) Booker, representative – Jackie, you here? I think she was going to be here to help make this a reality," said Biden.
He was referring to Jackie Walorski, a Republican congresswoman from the state of Indiana, who was killed in a car crash in August along with two members of her office and the driver of the other vehicle.
The late lawmaker played a key role in planning the conference alongside congressman, Jim McGovern, Booker and Braun.
Prior to Biden's speech, a tribute video honoring Walorski was played during the conference.
At the time of her death, Biden issued a statement, saying the accident left him "shocked and saddened."
Earlier last week, the U.S. president made headlines for the wrong reasons after footage of his seemingly disorientated behavior made rounds on social media.
Biden’s fitness for office has been a longtime fixation among conservatives. The latest events will only add fuel to that fire dominating conversations on the right as Trump openly sows doubts about the health of the man who defeated him.
Some of Trump’s allies had raised questions over Biden’s health following his stumble on the Air Force One stairs last year.
Later in June 2021, a group of 14 Republicans had urged the president to take a cognitive test and make the results public.
