Capt. 'Sully' Sullenberger pens op-ed in defense of Biden: 'I once stuttered, too. I dare you to mock me'

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/478944-capt-sully-sullenberger-pens-op-ed-in-defense-of-biden-i-stuttered?fbclid=IwAR1WyhUyYDd9DcvhY7AFwwHf3U_4pNRKad1GrlnnWHfuWaTaHSNtvIA_4NU

By Marty Johnson - 01/18/20 07:20 PM EST

Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the retired pilot known for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009, authored a New York Times op-ed Saturday defending former Vice President Joe Biden amid mocking comments made about him and his stutter earlier in the week.

Sullenberger, who admits that he also had a stutter, began the piece by reflecting on his childhood in Denison, Texas, and how hard speaking in class was for him.

"Those feelings came rushing back, when I heard Lara Trump [married to the president's son Eric Trump] mocking former Vice President Joe Biden at a Trump campaign event, with the very words that caused my childhood agony," he wrote.

"'Joe, can you get it out?' Ms. Trump was seen saying onstage, as a few giggles are heard from an otherwise silent audience. 'Let’s get the words out, Joe,'" he continued.

•••••

He concluded with a message for children who struggle with stuttering: "You are fine, just as you are. You can do any job you dream of when you grow up."

"You can be a pilot who lands your plane on a river and helps save lives, or a president who treats people with respect, rather than making fun of them," he continued.