Biden botches HHS pick Becerra's name, calls nominee 'Secretary of Health and Education Services'

close

Video

Sen. Kennedy on Biden's HHS pick: Becerra is going to have a tough confirmation

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., weighs in on President-elect Biden tapping Xavier Becerra as HHS Secretary, the latest on Trump's election legal challenges and Pelosi's handling of coronavirus stimulus on 'Fox & Friends.'

President-elect Joe Biden did not make the smoothest introduction of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Xavier Becerra during a Tuesday event unveiling Biden's health and coronavirus team. 

On Monday, the Biden transition announced that Becerra, California's attorney general and a former Democratic congressman, would be the president-elect's pick to head HHS. The choice led to criticism from prominent Republicans who have pointed to Becerra's past support for Medicare-for-all and his progressive stance on abortion.

However, Biden briefly took the focus off that controversy by botching the formal introduction of the pick.

SEN. KENNEDY PREDICTS 'TOUGH CONFIRMATION' FOR BIDEN'S HHS PICK

"For Secretary of Health and Education Services, I nominate Xavier Bacheria," Biden said while reading from the teleprompter.

A moment later, Biden correctly pronounced Becerra's last name. 

In October, Biden raised eyebrows for mispronouncing the first name of his running mate, now-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, after critics previously claimed that saying her first name incorrectly was bigoted. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Back in September, the then-Democratic nominee bungled the order of the Democratic ticket by referring to a "Harris-Biden administration" in a campaign speech.