President Biden found himself in a moment of awkwardness over the weekend, attempting to quote Abraham Lincoln during a speech to the nation’s governors. The 81-year-old president, standing before a portrait of the 16th president, began by emphasizing his intention to get the quote “exactly right.” However, what followed was a somewhat muddled rendition of one of Lincoln’s iconic lines from his inaugural address.
Biden, reading from a notecard at the Governor’s Ball Dinner on Saturday, stated, “He said, ‘We — the better angels,” he said, ‘We must address the counsel — and adjust to the better angels of our nature.’” The attempt to articulate Lincoln’s words didn’t quite hit the mark, leaving room for scrutiny, as per the New York Post.
In his effort to convey historical significance, Biden continued, saying, “And we do the — and we do well to remember what else he said. He said, ‘We’re not enemies, but friends.’ This is in the middle of — this is in the — in the part of the Civil War.”
It seems that Biden was referring to Lincoln’s first inaugural address in March 1861, a crucial moment in American history. However, the president’s rendition contained an apparent error, as he stated, “He said: ‘We’re not enemies, but [we’re] friends, we must not be enemies.” The original quote, as delivered by Lincoln, was a bit different: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.”
Biden’s misstep becomes even more pronounced when considering the context of Lincoln’s words. The iconic line, “Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection,” was delivered by Lincoln as he sought to address a nation divided on the brink of the Civil War.
Lincoln’s eloquence continued, “The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched — as surely they will be — by the better angels of our nature.” This speech, delivered in March 1861, came well before the commencement of the Civil War, contradicting Biden’s statement that it occurred “in the middle of the war.”
Following this unintentional historical misstep, Biden, ever self-aware, made light of his age, telling the nation’s governors, “Folks — and I’ve been around. I know I don’t look it. I’ve been around a long while, though.”
In an era where politics has become increasingly polarized, Biden expressed concern over the bitter partisanship, saying, “Politics has gotten too bitter — Democrats and Republicans. Politics has gotten too personally [sic], and it just is – it’s just not like it was.”
This latest gaffe adds to growing concerns within the Democratic Party about Biden’s reliance on notecards during speeches and private fundraisers. Some donors have reportedly left fundraisers with reservations, noting the president’s use of written notes even on topics expected to be within his deep knowledge of policy. As Biden navigates the complexities of the presidency, his verbal slips and reliance on notecards may continue to be points of scrutiny for both supporters and critics alike.
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