Jill Biden criticised for ‘taco’ remarks during Hispanic voter speech

First lady spoke at UnidosUS event in San Antonio

Jill Biden was mocked by her right-wing critics after she told a group of Hispanic voters in Texas they were as “unique” as “breakfast tacos.”

The First Lady made the remark as she spoke to the UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio on Monday.

And observers also criticised Ms Biden for mispronouncing the word “bodega” in her speech as “bogeda.”

“(Raul Yzaguirre) helped build this organisation with the understanding that the diversity of this community, as distinct as the bogedas of The Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio, is your strength,” Ms Biden said, according to video of the event.

“Jill Biden just said Hispanics are as ‘unique’ as tacos. This isn’t Veep. Which White House speechwriter just won a bet for getting the First Lady to say something like this?” tweeted Steve Guest, Ted Cruz’s special communications adviser.

Another Twitter user added: “Dems have no idea how to talk to Hispanics...we will lose our democracy on their watch because they are so tone deaf!!!”

“It’s going to be wild watching the same people who criticized Trump for tweeting a picture of himself with a taco bowl defending Jill Biden’s taco remarks,” added another.

Around six out of 10 Latinos voted for Joe Biden in 2020, but there was a roughly eight per cent swing towards Donald Trump compared to the 2016 election, according to data firm Catalist.

Ms Biden’s speech came just four months before the 2022 midterms, and she said that Latinos who backed her husband in 2020 “were right to put your faith in him,” but she added, “we need to do much more.”