Joe Biden's 'Awkward Gaffe' Draws Backlash After He Calls Out Syracuse Trustee Who Resembles Barack Obama: Watch

During a portrait unveiling at Syracuse University on Wednesday, April 14, former President Joe Biden jokingly referred to Jeffrey Scruggs, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, as "Barack,” sparking major MAGA pearl clutching from a group that has largely ignored countless offenses by President Donald Trump.

The exchange took place at Biden's alma mater, where he was celebrating the permanent installation of his official portrait.

While speaking, Biden, 83, spotted Scruggs and said, "I always want to turn around to one guy and say ... 'Barack, what are you doing?'"

Biden repeatedly motioned for Scruggs to join him at the podium, asking the audience, "Doesn't he look like Barack?"

"I feel like he should be standing on the right and I should be standing on the left,” Biden quipped after inviting Scruggs up on stage.

Scruggs reportedly told Biden backstage that his daughter often asked if he looked like former President Barack Obama.

The former president, who is seemingly doing well despite his grim cancer diagnosis, later explained that the onstage moment was intended to confirm that resemblance for the daughter humorously.

The audience at the event laughed. However, the clip sparked debate online; critics from right-wing platforms like the New York Post and Fox News labeled it an "awkward gaffe," while others defended it as a harmless inside joke in a familiar setting.

Far-right social media, bruised from the latest Trump scandals, including his attack on Pope Leo XIV and the posting of an AI-generated photo of himself as Jesus Christ, which he later denied and said was him as a doctor, seized on the opportunity to jab at Biden.

MAGA influencer Link Lauren posted with no irony whatsoever, "His filter just keeps disappearing, and it’s glorious. If anyone else had said they look alike, there would be cries of racism from the media.”

Sky News Australia's Rita Panahi used the moment to mock Biden for "assuming" the trustee was Obama.

On the left, they largely viewed the MAGA reaction as an overblown attempt to find a new gaffe to attack Biden with.

Commentators from outlets like Mediaite noted that, while the comparison might be awkward, it wasn't the malicious or "dementia-fueled" moment some right-wing critics claimed it was as a way to deflect from the fact that there is growing concern about Trump's cognitive decline.

Cries of racism from the right wing were met with reminders that Trump's history with race-related issues spans over 50 years and includes numerous accusations of racism, which he has consistently denied. Public opinion and scholarly analysis often highlight a pattern of speech and actions perceived as fueling white supremacy or racial division.