'I didn't do that': Biden says it wasn't him who designated Easter Sunday as Transgender Day of Visibility and calls Speaker Mike Johnson 'thoroughly uninformed' for his furious response

President Joe Biden on Monday said he didn't name Easter Sunday the Transgender Day of Visibility and slammed Speaker Michael Johnson as being 'thoroughly uninformed' for calling the proclamation 'outrageous' 

Biden sparked outrage from conservatives over the weekend with his proclamation recognizing the day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people. 

Johnson, former President Donald Trump and many other conservatives slammed Biden, with the speaker calling the president's move 'outrageous and abhorrent.'

'I didn't do that,' Biden said when asked if he named Easter the Transgender Day of Visibility.

March 31 has been designated as the day to honor the transgender movement internationally since 2009. 

This year March 31 also happened to be Easter Sunday. 

The president, asked to respond to Johnson's criticism, said: 'He's thoroughly uninformed.'

Later in post on X, Johnson responded by highlighting the White House proclamation where Biden did 'hereby proclaim' March 31, 2024 as Transgender Day of Visibility. 

'This you, @JoeBiden?' Johnson wrote. 

At Monday's briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed that she was 'so surprised by the misinformation that's been out there around this' and said the White House was 'confused' by the outcry. 

'And I want to be very clear, every year for the past several years on March 31 Transgender Day of Visibility is marked. And, as we know, for folks who understand the calendar and how it works - Easter falls on different Sundays,' Jean-Pierre said. 

'And this year it happened to coincide with transgender visibility day. And so that's a simple fact. That is what has happened. That is where we are,' the press secretary continued.   

Jean-Pierre called the conservative outrage 'a lot of misinformation done on purpose.' 

'And as a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,' she said. 'Now sadly, and it's not surprising, right? It's actually unsurprising that politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful and dishonest rhetoric.' 

'It is dishonest what we heard the past 24 hours, it is untrue what we heard over the weekend,' Jean-Pierre said. 

She also pointed out that the conservative-leaning Fox network previously marked the day, quoting a tweet from the network from 2021. 

'President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes,' Jean-Pierre continued. 'Or for profit.' 

Trump has been selling $60 Bibles in a partnership with singer Lee Greenwood, whose God Bless the USA the ex-president plays at his entrance music at all his rallies.  

'That is not what this administration is about. That is not what being a leader is about. And this misinformation out there is just - it's bad - and it is cause to divide us,' Jean-Pierre said. 

The president and first lady Jill Biden kicked off a rainy Easter Egg Roll on Monday after the weekend's storm of controversy.

Hunter Biden joined his parents on the South Lawn, shaking hands and chatting with people in the drizzling rain.

The Bidens focused on the traditional activities of the egg race. Both the president and first lady took turns blowing the starting whistle and President Biden helped one little girl roll her egg.

The first lady read Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you see to a group of children as the rain continued to fall, beating down steadily on parents, presidents and officials alike. 

The first family, however, didn't let the either the political storms nor the damp weather spoil the Easter Egg Roll, an annual tradition that began in 1878.

Some 40,000 people are expected to participate in 'EGG-ucation'-themed event, about 10,000 more than last year. 

'Folks, welcome to what's expected to be the biggest White House Easter Egg Roll ever,' Biden proclaimed.  

Miniature hot air balloons labeled Engineering, Science, Technology, and Art decorated the South Portico area.

Jill Biden, a longtime teacher, added education components to the celebration, including stations for children to learn about farming, healthier eating, exercise and more.

Children can also write notes to U.S. troops and first responders with Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit organization.

The Easter holiday got off to a rough start for the administration when conservatives opened fire on the president for honoring the Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter Sunday.

It was created by Rachel Crandall-Crocker, the executive director of advocacy group Transgender Michigan.

The holiday is 'a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces,' according to media monitoring nonprofit GLAAD.

Biden released a statement on Saturday to mark the occasion: 'On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation's commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives,' it read.

'Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America, and my entire Administration and I have your back.'

Biden was the first American president to issue a formal proclamation recognizing the event in 2021.

Conservatives were outraged, led by Trump, Biden's rival in the 2024 presidential race.

Trump's national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt lambasted the proclamation as 'appalling and insulting.'

She claimed the announcement was evidence of the Biden administration's 'years-long assault on the Christian faith.'

And House Speaker Mike Johnson called the proclamation 'abhorrent.'

'The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter - which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Banning sacred truth and tradition - while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as 'Transgender Day' - is outrageous and abhorrent,' he said.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates slammed back, saying: 'As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American.'

'Sadly, it's unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit.'

And the eggs for Monday's event caused a controversy of their own.

The first lady invited the children of military families to send decorated eggs to the White House to be on display during the Egg Roll. 

The invitation called for children from families of the National Guard to submit artwork that would be painted on eggs, but banned 'any questionable content, religious symbols, overtly religious themes, or partisan political statements.'

In response to the criticism, Jill Biden spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander noted the language in the invitation was standard and that it was used for several administrations, including Trump.

'*Fyi on all the misleading swirl re White House and Easter: the American Egg Board flyer's standard non-discrimination language requesting artwork has been used for the last 45 years, across all Dem & Republican Admins—for all WH Easter Egg Rolls —incl previous Administration's,' she wrote on X.