Nashville school shooting: Biden criticized for joking about ice cream in first statement since attack
President Biden was criticized Monday for his response to the Nashville school shooting after he joked that he only made a public appearance because he heard there would be ice cream before discussing the tragedy that claimed the lives of three adults and three children at an elementary school earlier in the day.
"My name is Joe Biden. I’m Dr. Jill Biden’s husband," Biden said from the White House's East Room in his first public appearance since a 28-year-old woman shot and killed three students and three teachers at a Christian private school in Nashville. "I eat Jeni’s ice cream — chocolate chip. I came down because I heard there was chocolate chip ice cream," he continued. "By the way, I have a whole refrigerator full upstairs," he added. "You think I’m kidding? I’m not," Biden told the crowd.