President Joe Biden struggled to speak and correctly pronounce words during a speech in Puerto Rico on Monday, turning and asking someone else on stage to “help me with the pronunciation.”
“And we’ve announced a sic – a hundred and sixty-three million, uh [unintelligible] million dollar investment to begin canal construction to restore can -” Biden stammered before turning to his right and pleading for help with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi.
“Can you help me with the pronunciation?” Biden asked, and Pierluisis responded, “Martin Pena, Martin Pena.”
“Martin Pena,” said Biden. “That entire ecosystem.” And we’ll clean up polluted waters and restore mitigation habits, as well as m-m-mangrove habitat, mangrove habitats.”
Earlier this month, at a Hispanic Heritage Month reception, Biden told the audience that “maybe some of you” came to the United States illegally, but then declared, seemingly contradictorily, that “y’all were here before we were.”
“Can you believe it? “Perhaps some of you were daydreaming,” Biden speculated. “It’s like, what do people expect you to say when your mother is driving you across the Rio Grande, ‘No mama, I’m stayin’ here, I’m not goin’?” ‘I’m going to make a choice.’
Biden’s speech comes at a time when his poll numbers among Hispanics have dropped to all-time lows, and an increasing number of Hispanics have stated that they intend to vote for Republican candidates in the upcoming elections.