Politics

‘I Didn’t Do That’: Biden Throws More Gasoline On ‘Transgender Visibility’ Day Outcry After Speaking To Press

Annual Easter Egg Roll Held On South Lawn Of The White House

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Reagan Reese White House Correspondent
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President Joe Biden threw more gasoline on the outcry over his “Transgender Day of Visibility” proclamation after responding to a few questions from the press Monday during the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll.

Biden sparked backlash Saturday after the White House issued a proclamation Friday, recognizing “Transgender Day of Visibility,” which annually falls on March 31. Easter Sunday also fell on March 31 in 2024. The president responded to House Speaker Mike Johnson, who called it “outrageous” that Easter Sunday was proclaimed “Transgender Day of Visibility.” (RELATED: Devout Catholic Joe Biden Makes No Mention Of Ash Wednesday For First Time During Presidency)

“Speaker Johnson said you betrayed the tenet of Easter by proclaiming Sunday, Easter Sunday as Transgender Day,” Owen Jensen, EWTN’s White House correspondent, asked. “He called it outrageous and abhorrent. What do you have to say to Speaker Johnson?”

“He’s thoroughly uninformed,” Biden said, responding to Johnson’s comments.

The president then attempted to expand on how Johnson was “uninformed.”

“I didn’t do that,” Biden responded.

Johnson immediately shot back on Twitter with a screenshot of the president’s proclamation.

“This you, [Biden]?” Johnson wrote.

Other social media users and conservative pundits poked fun at the president for his response, implying that he forgot he issued the proclamation.

“I didn’t do that,” Stephen Miller, contributing editor for the Spectator, tweeted alongside a screenshot of the president’s proclamation.

“Lies, [Biden],” the House Judiciary GOP twitter account posted.

“Hey [Biden,]” Robby Starbuck, an American music video director, tweeted. “You not only ‘did that’ as you can see in the White House news announcement below but you posted it right here on [Twitter.]”

“As if what you did wasn’t bad enough, now you’re gaslighting America. You’re insane, incompetent, evil or maybe all 3,” Starbuck continued.

White House Spokesperson Andrew Bates responded to the backlash to Biden’s remarks in a statement obtained by the Daily Caller.

“President Biden is right. He did nothing in conflict with the ‘tenets’ of Easter, which he celebrated yesterday,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said. “Nor did he choose the dates of March 31 for Transgender Day of Visibility, which has been set since 2009 – including in 2020 and 2021 when FOX itself commented on Transgender Day of Visibility itself.”


Biden’s proclamation aimed to recognize “the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans” on the annual “transgender day of visibility.”

“On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives,” the president wrote in his proclamation.

“I am proud that my Administration has stood for justice from the start, working to ensure that the LGBTQI+ community can live openly, in safety, with dignity and respect,” the proclamation continued.

The White House responded to the initial backlash in a Saturday statement to the Daily Caller.

“As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,” Bates told the Daily Caller. “Sadly, it’s unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit.”