Joe Biden told one of his familiar stories about the African-American baseball player Satchel Paige during a speech on Veterans Day, and a stumble over his words caused an uproar on conservative Twitter.
“I’ve adopted the attitude of the great Negro, at the time, pitcher in the Negro Leagues, went on to become a great pitcher in the pros and Major League Baseball after Jackie Robinson. His name was Satchel Paige,” Mr Biden said.
The President was intending to refer to the Negro League, formed by Black baseball players in the 1920s who were banned from playing in the major leagues.
Mr Biden – who was acknowledging the birthday of Ambassador Donald Blinken – went on: “Satchel Paige, on his 47th birthday pitched a win against Chicago. And all the press went in and said, ‘Satch, it’s amazing. Forty-seven years old, no one’s ever, ever pitched a win at age 47. How do you feel about being 47?’ He said ‘Boys, that’s not how I look at it.’ He says ‘How do you look at it, Satch?’, and he said ‘I look at it this way, how old would you be if you know how old you were?’ I’m 50 years old and the ambassador’s 47.”
“That this needs to be explained is beyond absurd,” an article on Mediaite said.
Eric Trump was one of dozens of blue-checked Twitter conservatives who seized on the comment as proof that Mr Biden is a bigot.
“Did Biden just say what I think he said?” Eric Trump asked, before tweeting a “flushed face” emoji.
Other users pointed out that Eric’s father had a history of racist statements and actions.
Rev Chuck Corrie wrote: “Any Donald Trump fan Tweeting about Joe Biden forgetting the word “League” at the end of Great Negro League, is just trying to gaslight America. President Biden forgot a word. The former guy is basically a Klansman without the hood.”
“It must be hard to wake up every day and hoping to find things to feign outrage over,” another Twitter user wrote.
Mr Biden also told the same story when the LA Dodgers visited the White House in July.
