The President made the misstep on the two-year anniversary of the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021, when a Stop the Steal protest hosted by supporters of former President Donald Trump breached the Capitol building while lawmakers were certifying the 2020 presidential election.
On Friday, Biden awarded 14 individuals with the Presidential Citizens Medal, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, who were involved in resisting the January 6 attack. Among the recipients included seven police officers who defended the Capitol building, reported the New York Times, as well as politicians like Republican Rusty Bowers, the former Arizona House speaker who refused to consider overturning the 2020 election results.
Officer Brian Sicknick, who died on January 7, 2021, after being hospitalized following the events at the Capitol, was also honored at Friday’s ceremony. NPR reported that Sicnick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes, although Capitol Police said in a statement released later that the cause of death “does not change the fact Officer Sicknick died in the line of duty, courageously defining Congress and the Capitol.”
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that America owes you, owes you all, and I really mean this, a debt of gratitude,” Biden said during the ceremony hosted at the White House Friday afternoon. “One we can never fully repay, unless we live up to what you did.”
“If I can halt for a second, and just say to you, the impact of what happened on July the 6th had international repercussions beyond what any of you I think can fully understand,” the President continued.
Several conservative voices on Twitter reposted a clip of Biden’s misstep, including political commentator and comedian Tim Young, who commented along with the video, “Never forget July the 6th.” The phrase also reached Twitter’s trending page.
Jenn Pellegrino, host for the right-wing news outlet Newsmax, also reposted the clip, commenting that the misstep was “priceless.”
Biden has been ridiculed for misspeaking during his speeches in the past. In July, the President received a wave of backlash on social media after an apparent mistake while reading off of a teleprompter during a speech on reproductive rights. During that address, Biden read out loud “end of quote, repeat the line,” which were meant to serve as unspoken directions.
The President has also been mocked by his political opponents in the past for having a stutter, a speech disorder that Biden has previously said was difficult growing up with. Despite his transparency, however, some conservative leaders have claimed that Biden’s stuttering is a sign that he is in “cognitive decline.”
On Friday, writer Dan Amrich came to the President’s defense, saying that the “July the 6th” mistake should not overshadow what happened on January 6, 2021.
“Yes, Biden saying ‘July the 6th’ is an embarrassing gaffe. Totally agree,” Amrich wrote.
“But honestly? It’s not more embarrassing than January the 6th, and for some reason, you’re proud of that embarrassment,” he added.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.
