President Joe Biden joked Wednesday during a White House speech with tribal nations he was worried his wife would leave him for an Indian reservation.
The president recalled his wife First Lady Jill Biden traveled to a Cherokee school in Oklahoma and other Native American reservations since he became president.
“She’s spent a lot of time at other reservations as well, I’m worried she’s not going to come home one of these days when she goes,” Biden said as the audience laughed.
“You think I’m joking, I’m telling you,” he added. “If I hear more about the Navajos than I hear about me…”
As the audience laughed again, Biden continued. “Y’all think I’m kidding don’t you?”
The president explained his wife was attending a funeral Wednesday morning in “Indian country” for the mother of a family friend.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in Indian country as a senator and a vice president but I can say today I intend to make official presidential visits to Indian country to make it official,” he said.
During his speech, Biden promoted his efforts to send record funding to Tribal Nations for green energy developments, infrastructure improvements, and education.
He also boasted that as president he was using his authority under the antiquities act to increase the amount of land put under federal protection.
Biden previewed an upcoming decision to turn 450,000 acres in Nevada including Spirit mountain into a national monument.
“I’m committed to protecting this sacred place that is central to the creation story of so many tribes that are here today,” he said.
Biden also reminded the tribal nations that he was the most generous president to them.
“I tell you what. No one’s ever done as much as president as this administration’s doing,” he said. “Period. I am committed,”