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Benzinga
Benzinga
Politics
Shanthi Rexaline

Biden's 'Mental Acuity' Questioned By Journalist After President Searches For Congresswoman, Who Died Last Month, At Conference

President Joe Biden caused a stir when he asked for former Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), who was killed in a car crash in August, at an event on Wednesday.

What Happened: The president was addressing the White House Conference on “Hunger, Nutrition and Health.” While thanking the organizers, Biden mentioned Walorski's name, looked around and asked, “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie?”

Walorski was among the four Congressional co-sponsors of the bill to faund the conference. Biden even went past the faux pas without correcting it.

This came as a surprise to many as the president and first lady Jill Biden had offered their condolences after the passing of Walorski, a Republican by political leaning.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later downplayed the event. When probed on the incident, she said Biden was “acknowledging her incredible work.” Jean-Pierre also said the president had already planned to welcome the former Congresswoman’s family to the White House for the signing of the bill.

“She was on top of mind for the president,” she added.

Unconvinced with the explanation, several reporters pressed further. When Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett said these “moments of confusion” are happening with “increased frequency” and Americans watching this are having concerns, Jean-Pierre ignored him, according to the New York Post. Halkett insisted that he wanted an answer, stating, "We are asking about the mental acuity of the president.”

Jackie Walorski's brother Keith Walorski, while agreeing that it was a big mix-up, said it wasn't inexcusable or unforgivable, the Post reported. "No. I’m not gonna hold it against him. I just feel sorry for him," he added.

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