President Joe Biden has officially proclaimed June 15 to be “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.”
“Elder abuse takes many forms, such as financial, emotional, physical, and sexual harm, including intimate partner violence in later life. It often comes in the form of neglect, abandonment, or exploitation,” Biden said in an official White House statement.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day started in 2006.
“On this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, let us recommit to delivering all older Americans the promise of a comfortable and peaceful life with dignity,” he added. “Let us reaffirm our commitment to a world free from the scourge of abuse and neglect. Let us join the world in celebrating the essential role older adults play in our lives.”
For many critics, the proclamation is somewhat ironic given that the president, who is 79-years-old and known for his numerous gaffes, has been accused of suffering from elder abuse.
In March, after Biden forgot the name of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, California Congressman Mike Garcia (R) openly declared that the president was being taken advantage of and was a victim of elder abuse.
“I want to thank you both,” Biden said during a White House ceremony. “And I want to thank Sec- — the former general. I keep calling him ‘General.’ My — the guy who runs that outfit over there. I want to make sure we thank the secretary for all he’s done to try to implement what we’ve just talked about and for recommending these two women for promotion.”
"I want to thank the former general. I keep calling him general, but my… the guy who runs that outfit over there."pic.twitter.com/yeOifCp8ct
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 8, 2021
“This, to me, in my opinion, and I mean this as gracefully and tactfully as I can, I think we are seeing nationally one of the most grievous examples of elderly abuse in our nation,” Garcia said on a local D.C. radio show.
“This president is not fit for office. I don’t really believe he understands what he’s doing, and he’s got a political machine behind him that’s propping him up, and it scares the hell out of people like me who value our national security,” he told radio host Larry O’Connor.
“Garcia is hardly a flame-thrower,” O’Connor remarked after his comments. “And I haven’t heard a congressman lay it out so explicitly like that. It makes you wonder what’s being said when the microphones aren’t on.”
In reaction to the White House proclamation, columnist Stephen Miller wondered, “Does he know something happening to him tomorrow that we don’t? Is this a cry for help?”
“With Joe Biden, every day is Elder Abuse Awareness Day,” he added.
With Joe Biden, every day is Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) June 14, 2022