President Joe Biden mangled a quote from Chinese Communist dictator Mao Zedong during his Coast Guard commencement speech Wednesday.
“There’s a saying, used in a different context, a Chinese saying that says, ‘Women hold up half the world,’ Biden said during his commencement speech.
“It’s an absolute stupid position not to make sure they represent at least half of what we do,” he continued.
Biden, who turned 78 in November, was referring to a quote from Chairman Mao, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party, who said that “women hold up half the sky.” That saying was used to drive the women’s liberation movement in China.
Biden repeatedly quoted Mao during the 2020 campaign to explain his stance on women in the workforce.
“There’s an old expression attributed to the Chinese years ago. It said, ‘Women hold up half the sky.’ Guess what? The reason no country will be able to compete for world economic prominence unless they fully engage the women in their society.” Biden told a reporter in Arizona in October 2020.
Biden also used the quote in August 2020 to explain why he chose Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) to be his running mate. He also used the slogan during an August 2020 fundraiser, calling it an “old Chinese proverb.”