Joe Biden appears to believe deceased congresswoman Jackie Walorski in audience

White House in damage control after Joe Biden appeared to believe that a congresswoman, who died in August, was in the audience of a Washington event.

US President Joe Biden speaks during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. Picture: AFP

US President Joe Biden today (AEST) appeared to believe that a congresswoman, whose death he had marked with a statement in August, was in the audience of a Washington event on food that she had helped launch.

The White House responded to a flurry of media inquiries about the odd incident by saying the president simply had the congresswoman on his mind.

“Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie?” Biden called into the crowd, referring to the late Republican congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who was part of the bipartisan group behind the White House health conference on food and diet.

“I think she was going to be here,” Biden said.

US President Joe Biden called on a Republican, Jackie Walorski, to identify herself in a crowd, forgetting she had died in a car crash.

More U.S News here: https://t.co/FYmKpggK0Spic.twitter.com/4kBFkHrYji

— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 28, 2022

In fact, Walorski died in a car accident in August and Biden, the oldest president in history at 79 years old, issued a statement at the time saying he was “shocked and saddened.” “We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work,” Biden said in the August 3 statement.

“She also served as co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, and my team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall.”

"She was at top of mind..."

That's how the Biden White House is attempting to explain away Joe Biden's inquiry about the whereabouts of Republican Representative Jackie Walorski who passed away in early August. pic.twitter.com/kL6pswJfGC

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 28, 2022

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president’s confusion stemmed from having Walorski on his mind as he presided over the conference and also thought ahead to hosting her family at the White House on Friday.

“She was top of mind,” Jean-Pierre said.

REPORTER: "The confusing part is why, if she and the family is top of mind, does the president think that she's living and in the room?"

KJP: "I don't find that confusing."

R: "I have John Lennon top of mind just about every day but I'm not looking around for him anywhere." pic.twitter.com/pDDercPDEY

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 28, 2022

“He was thinking about her as he was naming, he was calling out the congressional champions on this issue, on this really critical issue,” she said. “I feel like many of us have gone through that particular, you know, time, where someone is on top of mind and you call them out.”

AFP