US President Joe Biden has once again shuffled into the spotlight as he delivered a speech at a Black History Month event at the White House.
Speaking to the people in attendance, Biden joked that he “may be a white boy” but he is “not stupid,” in what one US newspaper described as a “cringeworthy attempt at self-deprecating humor.”
“I know where the power is. You think I’m joking? I learned a long time ago about the Divine Nine," the POTUS said, eliciting laughs from the audience.
The Divine Nine the president was referring to is the nickname for the National Pan-Hellenic Council, an umbrella council of African-American fraternities and sororities in the US.
While at least some present at the event seemed to appreciate Biden’s humor, the social media audience appeared less forgiving.
“The African-American vote is earned by dissing the whites, I guess?” one netizen mused.
“The people constantly talking about race are the racists,” another remarked.
And yet another netizen predicted that, if Biden made that joke about Black or Jewish people instead, he “would be on a two-week apology tour.”