President Biden address mentions local boy killed in apparent hate crime, family called after speech

WASHINGTON (WLS) -- During a primetime address Thursday night, in which he discussed a wide array of topics, President Joe Biden also mentioned the 6-year-old unincorporated Plainfield boy, who was killed in an apparent hate crime last weekend.

Biden and the first lady called the father and uncle of Wadea Al-Fayoume after his address, and posted a photo of the call on X, formerly known as Twitter.

During his speech, he addressed the rise in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

"Wadea, a proud American, a proud Palestinian American family. We can't stand by and stand silent when this happens," Biden said.

In the call to the boy's family, Biden and the first lady offered condolences and well wishes for the boy's mother, who is still recovering from serious injuries.

Biden said he also told the family he will continue speaking out against Islamophobia.

On Friday, Biden will ask Congress to approve tens of billions of dollars for aid to Israel and Ukraine.

He set the stage for his request to Congress in the rare Oval Office address to the nation.

The president said American leadership is what holds the world together.

He did his best to calm the country, as Americans watch war continue in the Middle East, and, with that, comes his proposal of that $105 billion foreign aid bill.

He'll face some opposition in Congress trying to get that approved, but the president said it's a smart investment.

The president opened his address by telling Americans that this is an inflection point in history that could determine the future for decades to come.

Biden's $105 billion proposal would be divided up in hopes of bringing relief across the globe.

The package includes $14 billion for Israel relief and $60 billion for Ukraine, while also adding funds for Taiwan, as well as some money for efforts at the U.S-Mexico border.