Getty Joe Biden
In a message on PBS News Hour on July 3, Joe Biden sounds like he introduced himself as “Joe Biden’s husband.” But some were debating it and saying that he said “I’m Jill Biden’s husband.” The question came back up again on August 18, when Joe Biden appeared after his wife Jill Biden’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. Biden often jokingly refers to himself as “Jill Biden’s husband.”
Read on to see the video below of that moment and then watch the full video that led up to that moment to decide for yourself what he said.
People Are Debating If He Said ‘Joe Biden’s Husband’ or ‘Jill Biden’s Husband’
After the National Education Association (NEA) introduced Biden on PBS News Hour, he jokingly sounded like he said: “As Lily already indicated, I’m Joe Biden’s husband, Joe Biden.”
Some say that because he has a bit of a stutter, it’s possible he was saying “Jill Biden,” since the name sounds so similar to Joe.
That’s what I heard. “I’m Jill Biden’s husband, Joe Biden.” It’s an old joke to give credit to a lesser known partner. The man is obviously struggling. I think it’s unkind to pile on.
— Dee Dee Bee (@deborah_boroff) July 3, 2020
But others say it definitely sounds like he says, “I’m Joe Biden’s husband, Joe Biden.”
“I’m Joe Biden’s husband. Joe Biden.” – Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/xERj1cIIId
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 3, 2020
Here’s the full video from PBS. The moment he made the statement was right around 17:45.
Biden was introduced by the NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia, who spent some time talking about his wife, Jill Biden, before he began speaking. Garcia talked about how Jill Biden is an NEA member, which wasn’t why they were speaking to him, but it didn’t hurt. She said that because Jill Biden is a college professor, Joe Biden “knows us.”
The question came up again when Joe Biden appeared with Jill Biden after her speech at the Democratic Convention in August 2020. Many people agree that he said he was “Jill Biden’s husband” in that moment, which you can watch below.
In tender moment, Joe Biden embraces Jill Biden following her keynote #DemConvention remarks.
"I'm Jill Biden's husband…You can see why she's the love of my life and the rock of our family." https://t.co/g2aifw44ZR pic.twitter.com/yEM18SMx2l
— ABC News (@ABC) August 19, 2020
Biden Often Refers To Himself as Jill Biden’s Husband
It would be natural, after that introduction, for Biden to jokingly refer to himself as Jill Biden’s husband. In fact, Biden is known for often doing just that. In April 2019, The Hill reported that he introduced himself as “Jill Biden’s husband” when he first kicked off his campaign. Here’s that moment for comparison:
"My name is Joe Biden, and I'm Jill Biden's husband," Joe Biden says at his campaign kick off in Pittsburgh, PA. https://t.co/quSzjNpeYq pic.twitter.com/z6LLQYKoJt
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 29, 2019
Today’s video happened when Biden was addressing the delegates of the NEA during the union’s annual Representative Assembly. This year the event was virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic. After the introduction, Biden talked about his education plan, along with his plan for federal funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, EdWeek.org reported.
Many people are still debating whether he said Joe or Jill Biden, however.
Donald Trump. Jr. tweeted the video and claimed it was a sign of a bigger problem.
This is ridiculous already. How can they let this guy possibly be the leader of anything let alone the leader of the free world?
These daily mistakes are not gaffes they are a serious issue for someone who could have the nuclear football, they show a lapse of basic reasoning. https://t.co/ksGSfBTabU
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 3, 2020
One person said about Donald Trump’s tweet:
Joe Biden commonly introduces himself as Jill Biden's husband, but we know how hard listening and comprehension is for Trump Jr
— Lisa Braun Dubbels (@lisadubbels) July 3, 2020
Some have said that people are simply hearing him wrong and he said “Jill Biden’s husband.” Others are insisting he said “Joe Biden’s husband.” It seems like this one might be open for debate for quite some time. It’s difficult to tell in the video exactly which of the two phrases he said. In the past though, he’s been known for joking about how he’s better known for being Jill Biden’s husband.
What did you hear him say? Let us know in the poll below.
Did Joe Biden say in that video that he was "Joe Biden's husband" or "Jill Biden's husband"? Vote in the poll below. (Video in the next tweet.)
— StephanieDubeDwilson (@StephanieDube) July 3, 2020
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