Biden tries to repair Thurmond's tarnished legacy in final speech.

On Monday, during one of his final speeches as president, Biden attempted to restore the reputation of the infamous pro-segregation senator, Strom Thurmond.

During a White House reception for new Democratic congress members, Biden spoke about Thurmond, offering several redeeming details but clarifying that he wasn't defending the man.

I have been tasked with delivering the eulogy for a variety of individuals throughout my career, including Strom Thurmond, who was 100 years old. On the day of his passing, I received a call from the hospital, where Nancy Thurmond and her husband, Walter Reed, informed me that Strom had requested me to deliver his eulogy.

"Strom Thurmond recognized that separate but equal was not an appropriate solution, as it did not mean that Blacks and Whites should be together. However, if separate but equal were implemented, it would require equal funding for Black and White schools. Despite this, Thurmond remained in the Senate until his departure. I am arguing in favor of Thurmond's legacy," Biden stated.

Biden stated that he had more African-Americans in his staff than any United States senator, and that Strom Thurmond, who had an illegitimate child with a Black woman, never denied it or stopped paying for his upbringing. Biden also mentioned that there are many different and strange people in the world, and that he is sure he could find some strange things about anyone.

During his presidency, Biden has frequently discussed his relationship with Thurmond. In August 2023, he stated that he had convinced Thurmond to vote for the Voting Rights Act before his death in 2003, at the age of 21.

Biden claimed that he persuaded Strom Thurmond to vote for the Civil Rights Act before his death.

""He added, 'But hate never dies, it just hides. It hides under the rocks,'" he said."

The Civil Rights Act passed the Senate on June 19, 1964, while Biden was born on Nov. 20, 1942.

At the time of the landmark legislation's passing, Thurmond and Biden were contemporaries in the Senate, but the president would have been 21 years old, significantly younger than the 29 years old when he won his Senate seat.

Planet Chronicle' Houston Keene contributed to this report.