Biden calls Laken Riley accused killer an 'illegal' during exchange with Marjorie Taylor Greene

Michael Collins, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden mentioned the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley during his State of the Union address on Thursday and referred to the Venezuelan man accused of killing her as an “illegal.”

Biden’s unscripted remarks, prompted by an exchange with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., provided one of the night’s most tense moments.

By calling the suspect an “illegal,” Biden was using outdated language often preferred by Republicans – but long abandoned by Democrats and social justice advocates – when referring to people who have entered the country illegally.

The exchange came during a portion of Biden's remarks when he was urging Congress to pass a bipartisan border security bill that House Republicans killed at the urging of former President Donald Trump.

Greene, who was wearing a T-shirt that read “Say Her Name,” shouted out Riley’s name, prompting Biden to go off script. He stopped briefly and then held up a button bearing the victim’s name.

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Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga) yells as President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 7, 2024.
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga) yells as President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 7, 2024.

“Lincoln Riley,” Biden said, appearing to mispronounce the victim’s first name, “an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal – that’s right. But how many thousands of people being killed by illegals?"

Biden then directed his remarks to the victim's parents, saying, "My heart goes out to you, having lost children myself. I understand.”

Federal authorities say Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was killed on Feb. 22 in Athens, Georgia, by a man who entered the country without authorization.

In invoking Riley's death, Biden called on Republicans to pass the border security bill.

"We can fight about fixing the border or we can fix it," he said. "I'm ready to fix it."

President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. He is holding a button remembering the killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student whose body was found in a wooded area on the University of Georgia's main campus in Athens, Ga.
President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. He is holding a button remembering the killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student whose body was found in a wooded area on the University of Georgia's main campus in Athens, Ga.

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @mcollinsNEWS.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Laken Riley: Biden calls alleged killer Ibarra an 'illegal' at SOTU