President Biden expressed regret on Saturday for using the word “illegal” to describe an undocumented immigrant who has been charged in the killing of a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia, agreeing with his progressive critics that it was an inappropriate term.
Mr. Biden used the word during an unscripted colloquy with Republicans during his State of the Union address on Thursday night, and then came under fire from immigration supporters who consider the term dehumanizing.
Among those who said he should not have used it were several congressional Democrats.
“I shouldn’t have used ‘illegal’; it’s ‘undocumented,’” Mr. Biden said on Saturday in an interview with Jonathan Capehart on MSNBC, during which he addressed his disagreements with former President Donald J. Trump.
I’m not going to treat any, any, any of these people with disrespect.”
Persons:
Biden, “, ’, Mr, Jonathan Capehart, Donald J, ’ ”, I’m, ”
Organizations:
Republicans, MSNBC, Trump
Locations:
Georgia