Joe Biden Tells Audience Member to 'Shush Up'

President Joe Biden told a heckler to "shush up" during a speech about the care economy on Tuesday.

Biden delivered remarks about his administration's plans to improve the care economy infrastructure, a key priority for the incumbent president as he makes his pitch to the American voters to send him back to the Oval Office for the next four years.

Both Biden and former President Donald Trump have won enough delegates to secure their respective party's presidential nomination, setting up a likely rematch of the 2020 presidential race for November. Polls show a tight race between the two, with Biden gaining ground on Trump's narrow lead in recent weeks.

During the speech, a man interrupted Biden, prompting the president to respond directly to him. It remained unclear exactly what the heckler was saying.

"You wanna come make a speech, or shush up, okay?" Biden said, drawing laughter from the audience. "I'm not messing around with him. He looks like he could take me."

Video of his remarks went viral on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, being viewed more than 100,000 times Tuesday afternoon. His remarks were met with mixed reactions, with some praising his response to the heckler, while others had a more critical take.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email.

"Biden: "I tell you what, you wanna come make a speech or shush up, ok?" Damn right @POTUS #TheCareEconomy," posted activist Skyleigh Heinen-Uhrich.

"Joe Biden goes full angry grandpa mode at a heckler," wrote journalist Kyle Becker.

After the heckling, Biden continued on with the speech, pledging to take more actions to help strengthen the care economy. He said his administration plans to enact rules to strengthen staffing standards in nursing homes and give homecare workers a larger share of Medicaid payments.

The president used his speech at Union Station in Washington, D.C., to cast a contrast between himself and Republicans.

For instance, he touted the American Rescue Plan's investments into the care economy, while also criticizing Republicans for opposing it. Conservatives argued the legislation was not fiscally responsible, though its proponents say it was crucial for stimulating the U.S. economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden also highlighted how his new budget would help caregivers, highlighting that he supports establishing more affordable childcare across the country, restoring the expanded childcare tax credit, expanding Medicaid homecare services and creating a national paid family and medical leave program.

"It's past time America caught up with the rest of the world on paid leave," he said. "All of this helps families, and it grows the economy. It grows the economy, and we can afford to do it. We can't afford not to do it."