Joe Biden Referring to Laken Riley's Accused Killer As 'Illegal' During State of Union Stirs Fellow Democrats

President Joe Biden referred to Laken Riley's alleged killer as "an illegal" during his Thursday evening State of the Union address, rankling fellow Democrats who were quick to object to his use of the term.

Pressed by firebrand Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to "say [Riley's] name," Biden held up a button bearing Riley's name, but appeared to mistakenly call her "Lincoln."

"Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal," the president said. "That's right. But how many of the thousands of people being killed by illegals - to her parents, I say my heart goes out to you. Having lost children myself, I understand."

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was beaten to death while jogging through a park on the University of Georgia's campus on Feb. 22. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who illegally entered the United States in 2022, has been charged with Riley's murder.

Biden came under fire from a number of Democratic lawmakers for referring to Ibarra as "an illegal.""It's dangerous rhetoric," Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro said, according to the Texas Tribune. "I just don't get why the president will go down that road.""As a proud immigrant, I'm extremely disappointed to hear President Biden use the word 'illegal,'" Rep. Chuy Garcia, of Illinois, wrote on social media.

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar in added her own social media post, "Let me be clear: No human being is illegal."

Stalwart Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, of California, however, played down Biden's use of the term during a post-address appearance on CNN."Now, he should have said 'undocumented,'" Pelosi said. "But that's not a big thing, OK? ... His focus was on the sympathy for the family."

Riley's murder - and its allegedly coming at the hands of the undocumented Ibarra - has come under the political spotlight as Biden faces continued scrutiny over surging border crossings ahead of November's presidential election.