A Michigan mother is demanding an apology from President Joe Biden after he was caught on video laughing while telling the story of her two sons who died due to an accidental fentanyl poisoning.
Rebecca Kiessling, who testified before Congress on Wednesday about her two sons, Caleb and Kyler, released a video Wednesday night blasting the president for his callous remarks. In the video, Kiessling said she was “shocked” to see Biden “start to laugh” while discussing her sons’ deaths.
“As President Biden was speaking about this mother who lost her two sons, he starts to laugh,” Kiessling said in the video. “This is how you speak about the death of my sons? Because a congresswoman misspoke? You mock the loss of my sons? How dare you. What is the matter with you?”
Kiessling’s sons passed away in 2020 after taking painkillers that were unknowingly laced with fentanyl. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., falsely claimed that Kiessling’s sons passed away as a result of Biden’s handling of the southern border crisis, but the deaths occurred a few months before he was sworn in.
During his speech Wednesday to Democratic lawmakers, Biden attempted to defend himself from Greene’s statement, but Kiessling believes that in doing so he “mocked” her pain.
“The interesting thing is that fentanyl the boys took came during the last administration,” Biden said with a laugh. “Look, folks, anyway, I don’t want to get started.”
Kiessling said that while many administrations have “failed” to properly address the drug and fentanyl crisis, Biden is not blameless. “But what about the 22% increase in fentanyl deaths since you became president? Since you changed your policy at the border. That represents tens of thousands of U.S. citizens who died on your watch,” she said in a statement directed at Biden.
Kiessling said that Biden needs to apologize for his comments, and do more to tackle the drug crisis in the U.S. and the massive amount of fentanyl coming into America through the southern border.
“This is unacceptable, and our president needs to apologize to me, and he needs to be held accountable,” she said. “Do something. Don’t be a coward. Do something.”
Kiessling’s emotional plea for a response from Biden comes at a critical time for the opioid crisis in America, as the country faces a record number of fentanyl-related deaths. It is yet to be seen if Biden will heed her call and apologize.
