(RepublicanWire.org) – President Biden claimed on Tuesday that he spoke to the man who “invented” insulin, there is just one problem, the doctor died before Biden was born.
The president’s comments came during an event in Hallandale Beach, Florida, during which he touted his administration’s efforts to lower healthcare costs for Americans.
“How many of you know somebody with diabetes, and needs insulin,” Biden asked the crowd.
“Do you know how much it costs to make that insulin drug for diabetes? … It was invented by a man who did not patent it because he wanted it available for everyone. I spoke to him, OK?” Biden claimed.
Dr. Frederick Banting, who was one of the doctors who discovered insulin in 1921 — refused to put his name on the patent — passed away in February of 1941. Joe Biden was not even born until November of 1942 — some 21 months later.
Banting received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 1923 following his discovery. His assistant, Dr. Charles Best, was a medical student at the time and assisted with the discovery. He did put his name on the patent, along with Dr. James Bertram Collip, who helped refine it, but the two sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1.
All three believed that it would not be ethical for them to take profits from something that could potentially save thousands or even millions of lives.
Physiologist John MacLeod, who also chose not to be named on the patent, played a role in the discovery, but had passed away in 1935. While both Drs. Collip and Best were still living after Biden was born, he ruled them out as the ones he spoke to because they did ultimately put their names on the patent.
Biden also misspoke about the ongoing “war in Iraq” and also claimed it was where his son died.
“Inflation is a worldwide problem right now because of a war in Iraq and the impact on oil and what Russia’s doing, excuse me, the war in Ukraine,” Biden said.
“I’m thinking of Iraq because that’s where my son died,” he added, as an excuse for the verbal slip.
Biden spent most of his speech expressing anger toward Republicans and concluded his speech with a final dig at his political opponents.
“God bless you all. God protect our troops and God give our Republican friends some enlightenment,” he said.