As the southern border continues to be flooded with migrants, newfound attention is being directed at a viral clip from 2020 showing then-Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden saying that he doesn’t consider drunk driving by an illegal alien to be a felony charge worthy of an arrest by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
“You only arrest for the purpose of dealing with a felony that’s committed, and I don’t count drunk driving as a felony,” he said.
Recorded during the so-called Brown & Black Democratic Presidential Forum on Jan. 23rd, 2020, the clip is making the rounds again for a couple of reasons.
First and foremost, the drunk driving that now-President Joe Biden downplayed in 2020 is responsible for an extraordinary number of annual deaths.
Drunk driving is the number one cause of death on America’s roadways – deaths that are 100% preventable.
I’m proud to sponsor the RIDE Act to make sure that we put the safety of American families first and prevent tragedies like this from happening. pic.twitter.com/e9L2Vr4dKr
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 26, 2020
“In 2019, more than 10,000 people were killed in alcohol‐impaired‐driving accidents, meaning that drunk driving was responsible for almost 28 percent of all traffic deaths,” according to the Cato Institute.
In a statement issued to Inside Sources following Biden’s remarks in 2020, Mothers Against Drunk Driving slammed him for downplaying this crime.
“Drunk driving is the Number 1 killer on America’s roads and a violent crime that MADD believes should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of the offender’s immigration status,” the group said.
“Drunk driving laws differ by state, and the fact that only four states charge a felony for a non-injury second drunk driving offense illustrates the enormous challenge MADD faces in helping to pass laws that will eliminate the horrible tragedies caused by drunk driving. In all drunk driving cases, MADD supports the victims and their wishes in the prosecution and sentencing of offenders who kill or injure someone.”
Drunk driving is the #1 killer on America’s roads that should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of the offender’s immigration status. MADD supports the victims of these crashes and their wishes in all drunk driving cases. https://t.co/y2GzCLPCLV
— MADD (@MADDOnline) January 21, 2020
Second, “in 2019 the absolute number of alcohol‐related driving deaths was highest in Texas, California, and Florida — three states with large populations, including large illegal immigrant populations,” according again to Cato.
Illegal aliens sometimes drive drunk and, in the process, wind up killing innocent American citizens. It follows, therefore, that the more illegal aliens there are in any particular area, the higher the chances of such an incident occurring.
To be clear, Cato denies this: “We find no statistically significant relationship between the illegal immigrant population on the state level and drunk driving deaths.”
Third, the border is currently being overrun under President Biden, in large part because of his lax illegal migration policies — including policies deprioritizing the deportation of illegals convicted of driving drunk.
In 2020, an illegal immigrant killed a Texas teenager while driving drunk, and then tried to flee the scene.
Under Trump, DHS slated him for deportation after he served his sentence.
Under Biden, DHS canceled that deportation request because it was not a “priority.”
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) January 31, 2022
Fourth, the reemergence of this clip comes only days after Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was charged with a mere misdemeanor for driving while drunk in California.
“The Napa County District Attorney’s Office charged him with one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with an .08% blood alcohol level or higher causing injury, both misdemeanors,” according to CBS News.
“The 82-year-old Pelosi was involved in a two-vehicle wreck on a rural road in Napa County at approximately 10:17 p.m. on May 28, the district attorney’s office said in a statement announcing the charging decision.”
Paul Pelosi’s arrest in May drew widespread controversy because of the measly $5,000 bail he, a multimillionaire, had to pay to be released.
“Drinking and driving kills 28 people a day in the U.S. according to the NHTSA.” That is more than 10,000 lives lost each year to drunk driving.” – Bankrate
Annual shooting deaths are a fraction of this.
Yet the bail on millionaire Paul Pelosi for DUI was only $5K.
Go frigate. https://t.co/2VCqTe7YW6
— Yossi Gestetner (@YossiGestetner) May 30, 2022
Drunk driving accidents are responsible for 10,000 deaths every year, and about 1/3 of all traffic-related deaths.
Pelosi’s husband getting caught DUI shows the elites have zero regard for human life and think they are above the law.
— Marc Lobliner – IFBB Pro (@MarcLobliner) May 30, 2022
In fairness to the president, a first-time DUI/DWI charge is never counted as a felony.
“In all states except New York, New Jersey, and Wisconsin, a first-time conviction for driving under the influence is a misdemeanor1 and can result in jail time, significant fines, and the loss of driving privileges,” according to Verywell.
In New York, New Jersey, and Wisconsin, a first-time charge is apparently even lower than a misdemeanor.
On the other hand, many, including MADD and its allies, believe all drunken driving incidents should be categorized as felonies, with zero exception …
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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