Jan 21, 2021
Biden’s Inaugural Address Just the Word ‘Folks’ 143 Times in A Row
Washington DC — Joe Biden addressed a nation divided amidst a once-in-a-century pandemic in his first official address as Commander In Chief by saying the word ‘folks’ 143 times in a row.
Biden took the oath of office before walking to a podium to give his Inaugural Address to a national audience as well as his socially distanced family and cabinet.
“Folks!” he yelled in typical Biden fashion at a nation yearning for a message of hope. He followed that up with another “Folks!”
Dr. Jill Biden could be seen laughing behind her husband, as she clearly thought he was opening with a self-deprecating joke about his trademark expression. The smile on her face quickly turned to an expression of horror though, as President Biden began to repeat the phrase over and over again.
In total, Biden said “Folks!” 143 times in a row before concluding his speech with a smile and wave. At times, a visibly bored John Kerry could be seen mouthing the word in unison with Biden as he started to get the cadence.
After the speech, political pundits across network news gave their thoughts on what message came through the clearest to the American people.
“It was only 13 minutes which is on the shorter side for an Inaugural Address, but I think that just shows he’s not wasting time and is ready to get to work,” said Rachel Maddow of MSNBC. “Overall it was a unifying message that played more to the middle of the political spectrum.”
“Saying ‘folks’ is a quintessential opening for a Biden speech, but after about 15, it started to sound a bit repetitive and uninspired,” said CNN pundit Van Jones. “After roughly 80 ‘folkses’ it became clear that this was not his best speech.”
