Biden says he 'didn't do that' when asked about Easter being 'Trans Visibility Day,' despite proclamation
The president issued a proclamation commemorating Sunday as Transgender Visibility Day
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden said Monday that he "didn't do that" when asked about his official White House proclamation declaring March 31, the same day as Easter this year, as Transgender Day Of Visibility.
In an exchange with reporters at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, Biden declined responsibility for the proclamation when asked about House Speaker Mike Johnson's, R-La., criticism of the action. Over the weekend, Johnson wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the White House "betrayed the central tenet of Easter," adding that the proclamation was "outrageous and abhorrent."
"He’s thoroughly uninformed," Biden remarked when asked about Johnson's comments. "I didn’t do that."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the White House downplayed the president's comments, noting that he didn't choose March 31 as the date for Transgender Day of Visibility. Since 2021, when Biden took office, the White House has issued the same proclamation on March 31 every year.
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President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are shown at the annual Easter Egg Roll held on the South Lawn of the White House. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"President Biden is right. He did nothing in conflict with the ‘tenets’ of Easter, which he celebrated yesterday. Nor did he choose the date of March 31 for Transgender Day of Visibility, which has been set since 2009," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in an email.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In addition to the Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation, the White House simultaneously issued a flurry of other proclamations, including Cesar Chavez Day, National Donate Life Month, National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month, Arab American Heritage Month and Care Workers Recognition Month.
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But the timing of the Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation generated widespread outrage among Christians, who characterized its timing with Easter as disrespectful.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden leaves Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1, 2022. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"What a slap in the face to all Christians in America…" conservative commentator Benny Johnson said in a social media post Saturday.
"This is a direct assault on Christianity. It’s evident the left is determined to undermine our religion and traditions," added Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn. "This isn’t just blatant disregard, it’s intentional."
Biden has previously come under fire for his stance on LGBTQ+ and abortion issues, given his own position as a "devout Catholic" who regularly attends church. The White House also used the same terminology when addressing Biden's pro-choice stance on abortion.
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A recent poll from Pew Research found that just 13% of Americans think of Biden as "very religious," while 41% say he is "somewhat religious" and another 44% say he is "not at all" or "not too religious."
Fox News' Haley Chi-Sing and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.