President Joe Biden was heavily criticized on social media for repeating what has been tagged a lie about an election law that was implemented in Georgia years ago.
In a speech before the graduating class at Morehouse College over the weekend, Biden said, “Today in Georgia, they won’t allow water to be available to you while you wait in line to vote in an election. What in the hell is that all about?”
Biden was referring to SB 202 signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in March. As part of the sweeping changes the legislation made to Georgia’s election law, the bill makes it a crime for anyone who is not an election worker to hand food or drinks to any voter waiting in line to vote.
Biden’s claim has drawn criticism over the past few days, with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office calling him out for spreading lies.
“I can’t believe we’re still dealing with lies about Georgia’s election from the left & right. Once again, Georgia doesn’t have lines. Biden owes our election officials an apology & focus on the real issues – this damn inflation that is hitting hard-working Georgians,” the office wrote in a post to X.
It’s 2024. I can’t believe we’re still dealing with lies about Georgia’s election from the left & right. Once again, Georgia doesn’t have lines. Biden owes our election officials an apology & focus on the real issues – this damn inflation that is hitting hard-working Georgians. https://t.co/ENRnYNcx9t
— GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (@GaSecofState) May 20, 2024
Fox News contributor Guy Benson wrote, “Even Democrat-aligned Politifact admitted that the Georgia law – under which demagogued ‘suppression’ has not materialized – ‘allows poll workers to set up self-serve water stations for voters to use.’”
Even Democrat-aligned Politifact admitted that the Georgia law — under which demagogued ‘suppression’ has not materialized — “allows poll workers to set up self-serve water stations for voters to use.” https://t.co/bm15bqUsSC
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 19, 2024
The Republican National Committee also noted, “That’s a debunked lie.”
BIDEN: "Today in Georgia, they won't allow water to be available to you while you wait in line to vote in an election. What in the hell is that all about?"
That's a debunked lie. pic.twitter.com/ppYV7o1IJ9
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 19, 2024
For Red State writer Bonchie, Biden made the claims with the intention of sowing racial division. “Pure evil,” he wrote.
He’s lying to sow racial division. Pure evil. https://t.co/n8oApTV6Tl
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) May 19, 2024
Beyond social media, Biden also received criticism from experts over the claim, as Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Zack Smith told Fox News Digital that his statement is “obviously a factually false” one.
“Every state bans electioneering near polling places. Prohibiting giving money and gifts to potential voters – as Georgia election law does – to prevent unduly influencing them as they wait to vote is a good and reasonable policy. Of course, nothing in the law prohibits poll workers from providing water to voters and nothing prohibits voters themselves from bringing snacks and water to eat and drink as they wait to vote,” he said.
Smith then went on to point out that the Georgia law is similar to an election law in New York that prohibits giving voters “any meat, drink, tobacco, refreshment or provision” unless the item has “a retail value of less than one dollar.”
“Yet Biden and others in his administration haven’t been raising concerns about that law – wonder why?” Smith wondered.
Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project, also weighed in on the issue, saying, “Joe Biden preaches about democracy then spreads misinformation designed to delegitimize elections and vilify his opponents.”
“Fact checkers have debunked Biden’s claims about Georgia’s election law for years. Thanks to the law Joe Biden is smearing, Georgia held [a] historically successful, high-turnout, high-confidence election in 2022 and is poised to do the same this year. There is no excuse for continuing to spread these lies ahead of a high-stakes election,” he added.
White House Assistant Press Secretary Robyn Patterson has tried to defend Biden’s comment, saying, “SB 202 makes it a crime for people — and not just people from political organizations — to hand out food or bottles of water within 150 feet of a polling place. SB 202 also sought to make it a crime to provide food or water within 25 feet of any voter standing in line.”
