During his Friday, April 19, speech at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Construction and Maintenance Conference in Washington, D.C., President Biden alternated between somewhat incomprehensible slurring and aggressive yelling when trying to complement the skilled workers on their talents.
The IBEW, for reference, is a union composed of more than 800,000 skilled electrical workers in fields including, but not limited to, utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads and government. President Biden’s speech at the conference was likely meant to shore up his support amongst blue-collar workers.
The slurring and yelling part of the speech came when Biden was speaking about how talented electrical workers are in the context of how IBEW workers are helping revitalize American industry, and how the Biden Administration is supposedly helping them do so through tax breaks and investments to expand apprenticeship programs. Such programs are necessary given the requisite amount of skill required for the job.
In that portion of the speech, Biden said, “Today, I can announce that the IBEW plant in southern Ohio has already produced the first 200 pounds of that powerful enriched uranium — the first ever — first ever made in America. And it’s on track to produce nearly a ton by the end of the year, enough to power 100,000 homes in this country.”
Continuing, he added, “Folks, thanks to your partnership revitalizing key American industries, we’re reducing reliance on imported oil, creating more jobs for IBEW workers. So far, more than 2,000 new clean energy projects have come online nationwide since I took office, creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. We’re giving tax breaks that are five-times greater to projects that are prevailing — providing a prevailing wage. If you don’t provide a prevailing wage, you don’t get the tax break. And we use registered apprenticeships to train their workers. Look, we’ve invested $440 million to expand registered apprenticeship programs.”
Then, he tried explaining to the IBEW workers how difficult it is to become an electrical worker, saying, Most Americans may not know — and I love it. And you guys should talk more about it, in my humble opinion. Everybody thinks, “I — I want to be an electrician; I’ll show up and I….” “Well, here. Here, here’s your card.” Come on, man. Think about it.” They laughed and applauded.
But then came the slurred words, which the Biden White House’s official transcript of the speech recorded as being “(inaudible),” and the yelling. Biden said, You — by the way, go on out and ask people who know you — that you’re acquainted with who aren’t in the business at all, ‘What’s it take to be an electrician?” You say, “Oh, well, you just say (inaudible). You get a little bit of training.’ Four to five years of training to become an electrician. You’re the best in the world. That’s why it’s the (inaudible).” No, I really mean it. I mean it. You’re the best in the world. It’s like having to go college, for God’s sake. I’m serious.
Watch him here:
Watch that portion of the speech here:
