“How is this happening?” - Pat McAfee gives honest reaction about confusion over Laken and Lincoln Riley in POTUS Joe Biden’s address

During the recent State of the Union address, the President of the United States (POTUS) Joe Biden inadvertently shocked Pat McAfee and caused a stir when he misspoke about a prominent figure, Thursday night.

While addressing the nation, President Biden uttered a phrase that caught many off guard:

“Lincoln… Lincoln Riley… an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal,” Biden stated, it seemed to be that he was referring to the head coach of the USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley.

However, Biden was not referring to Lincoln Riley, but rather to nursing student Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia college student.

Enter CFB analyst McAfee, on his show, “The Pat McAfee Show,” shared his reaction to the President’s slip-up. Initially, he was stunned that Riley had tragically passed away.

"I saw somebody with a microphone last night addressing the entire nation. He [Biden] made an announcement that Lincoln Riley was dead," McAfee said.

McAfee had interviewed Lincoln Riley on his show earlier and was confused when he saw the coach’s name trending on X (formerly Twitter).

“I saw his name trending [so] I’m like, ‘Wait, he was just on the show.’ I was like, ‘What did Lincoln Riley do?'”

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on McAfee:

"I get on my phone after this event that we’re at and it’s Lincoln Riley and he’s trending all over. I click – ‘he’s dead.’ Lincoln Riley’s dead? Wait a second, who said that? The President? Lincoln Riley’s dead? How is this happening?"

“That's a world that just does stuff," he added.

---

Pat McAfee took aim at President Joe Biden's supporters

Pat McAfee hosts his show The Pat McAfee Show.

POTUS Biden made a mistake when he raised a pin in support of Laken. The pin was given to him by U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Laken’s life had been cut short in a horrifying manner—kidnapped and murdered by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, per reports.

McAfee’s initial shock turned into a mix of relief that coach Riley was very much alive, and was frustrated at the confusion caused by the President’s words.

"Is that world not the most 'This is just how it works.' It is, right?" – McAfee said.

---

President Joe Biden's Lincoln Riley gaffe ignites online chatter

“Lincoln vs Laken,” one fan tweeted. “Easily mistaken”

"I think we all yelled at the TV and corrected him,” another wrote.

"Does @PatMcAfeeShow wanna cover Trump’s umpteen million mispronunciations while he’s at it? Or just keep stumping for the right like a tool,” another fan wrote.

Here are other reactions: