The mother of late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski explained to President Joe Biden that her daughter is “in heaven” as the President apologized at a private meeting with the family following an embarrassing gaffe in which he forgot that the lawmaker had passed away.
The meeting, which lasted roughly 30 minutes, occurred prior to Biden signing a bill renaming an Indiana Veterans Affairs clinic in Walorksi’s honor on Friday.
Due to the secretive nature of Biden’s comeuppance session, an accounting of what was said came from the late congresswoman’s brother, Keith Walorski.
Keith described the interaction between Biden and their 83-year-old mom Martha “Mert” Walorski.
“She said, ‘Well, Mr. President, we can tell you where Jackie is. She’s in heaven with Jesus,'” he told the New York Post.
Biden apologized to the late Rep. Walorski’s family for apparently forgetting that she died. The White House had refused to concede this is what happened.
Walorski’s mom told the president that her daughter was in heaven. (He’d asked, “Where’s Jackie?”)https://t.co/ZiAKilb4cE
— Kimberly Leonard (@leonardkl) October 4, 2022
Congresswoman Jackie Walorski’s Mom: Where’s Jackie? She’s in Heaven
Keith Walorski noted Biden’s Catholic faith and suggested he could do little more than acknowledge their mother’s comments after asking “Where’s Jackie?” just days earlier.
“He could only agree. He’s a very Catholic person. He’s very strong in his Catholicism. So all he could do is say, ‘Yes, you’re right. I know,'” he told the Post.
Biden earlier in the week had called out for the late congresswoman – even after issuing a statement on her passing, lowering flags to half staff in her honor, and following a video tribute that was played prior to his speaking.
“Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie,” he said peering out into the audience. “She was going to be here.”
“Jackie, where’s Jackie?,” Joe Biden says about Rep. Jackie Walorski who died in a car accident a few months ago. pic.twitter.com/khdiesmEsx
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 28, 2022
Needless to say, she wasn’t there as the mother explained, she is “in Heaven.”
Walorski and two of her staff members were killed in a car crash in Elkhart County, Indiana in early August.
Biden’s shocking comments led many to question the President’s mental state, including some reporters who scoffed at White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s excuse that Walorski was simply “top of mind.”
Reporter, referring to Biden calling out to the late Rep. Jackie Walorski: “I have John Lennon top of my mind just about every day, but I’m not looking around for him anywhere.”
Jean-Pierre: “When you sign a bill for John Lennon as president, then we can have this conversation” pic.twitter.com/ZA9LM1t4NU
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) September 28, 2022
RELATED: White House Ludicrously Defends Biden After He Calls Out For Deceased Congresswoman
They’re Not Voting For Biden
Biden’s apology comes as his press secretary took great pains to argue that he had not misspoken in asking “Where’s Jackie?”
Beyond the closed-door apology, the President reportedly took the family on “a special West Wing tour, including of his private dining room and the rarely seen outdoor swimming pool.”
Walorski’s mother was even seated in Biden’s chair behind the Resolute Desk where photographs were taken of her.
All of this strikes as odd activity considering he only called out for the late lawmaker because she was “top of mind.”
After WHY PressSec Karine refused to admit Biden made the gaffe, we’re now learning Biden finally apologized to the Walorski family for his “Where’s Jackie” remark https://t.co/eIm3N1zZFA
— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) October 3, 2022
Despite Keith Walorski pointing to Biden being “a very Catholic person,” he cited religion as a reason in part that the family had no intentions of voting for the Democrat in 2024.
“Most of the Biden agenda is not what you would call a conservative Christian agenda,” he said. “That’s who we are.”
The congresswoman’s brother also said the conversation was relatively simple and wondered if things might have been different if more complex issues came up with the President.
“Our conversation was very laid back and casual,” said Walorski. “Had we asked more intricate political questions or whatever that needed a little bit more cognitive thinking, I don’t know where they would have gone.”
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