President Joe Biden is out to win votes by scoring some laughs at the expense of Donald Trump, unleashing mockery with the goal of getting under the former president含羞草研究社檚 thin skin and reminding the country of his blunders.
Like a comic honing his routine, the Democratic president has been testing and expanding his jokes over the past few weeks. It started with jabs about his Republican opponent含羞草研究社檚 financial problems, and now Biden regularly pokes fun at Trump含羞草研究社檚 coiffed hair, his pampered upbringing and his attempt to make a few extra bucks by selling a special edition of the Bible.
The jokes are the latest attempt to crack the code on how to clap back at Trump, whose own insult comedy schtick has redrawn the boundaries of what is acceptable in modern politics. Few have had much luck, whether they try to take the high road or get down and dirty with Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president.
含羞草研究社淭his is a constant challenge,含羞草研究社� said Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama. Trump is 含羞草研究社渘ot someone who plays by the rules. So it含羞草研究社檚 up to Biden to figure out how to adapt and play by new rules of engagement.含羞草研究社�
So far, Biden has been trying to thread a delicate needle to boost his chances of a second term. He uses humor to paint Trump as a buffoon unworthy of the Oval Office, but the president stops short of turning the election into a laughing matter.
Sometimes he finds that a few jokes can energize an audience even more than a major policy victory and draw precious attention away from an opponent who otherwise commands the spotlight even while stuck in a New York courtroom for his first criminal trial.
The latest example came at the White House Correspondents含羞草研究社� Association dinner on Saturday night. After years of Trump constantly needling Biden as 含羞草研究社渟leepy含羞草研究社� and mocking his age (Biden is 81, Trump is 77), Biden lobbed the insult back after Trump appeared to doze off in court.
Biden nicknamed his rival 含羞草研究社淪leepy Don,含羞草研究社� adding, 含羞草研究社淚 kind of like that. I may use it again.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社漁f course the 2024 election含羞草研究社檚 in full swing and yes, age is an issue,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 a grown man running against a 6-year-old.含羞草研究社�
But jokes at the annual black-tie affair, which also features a professional comedian (this year it was Colin Jost of NBC含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淪aturday Night Live含羞草研究社�), are nothing new. The real meat of Biden含羞草研究社檚 routine comes during campaign speeches in which he devotes a few moments to taking digs at Trump in between recitations of policy proposals and legislative accomplishments.
含羞草研究社淩emember when he was trying to deal with COVID? He suggested: Inject a little bleach in your vein,含羞草研究社� Biden said Wednesday to a labor union, describing Trump含羞草研究社檚 guidance from the White House during the pandemic. 含羞草研究社淗e missed. It all went to his hair.含羞草研究社�
In Tampa, Florida, the day before, he assailed Trump for the Supreme Court含羞草研究社檚 ruling that overturned abortion protections 含羞草研究社� with three justices nominated by Trump voting in the majority of Dobbs v. Jackson Women含羞草研究社檚 Health Organization 含羞草研究社� and then pivoted to the former president含羞草研究社檚 hawking of a $60 含羞草研究社淕od Bless the USA含羞草研究社� Bible.
含羞草研究社淗e described the Dobbs decision as a 含羞草研究社榤iracle,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Biden said of Trump. 含羞草研究社淢aybe it含羞草研究社檚 coming from that Bible he含羞草研究社檚 trying to sell. Whoa. I almost wanted to buy one just to see what the hell is in it.含羞草研究社�
Biden rarely references Trump含羞草研究社檚 court cases, but jokes about financial problems that began soon after the former president was ordered to pay $454 million in a civil case in New York.
含羞草研究社淛ust the other day,含羞草研究社� Biden said at a fundraiser in Dallas last month, 含羞草研究社渁 defeated-looking guy came up to me and said, 含羞草研究社楳r. President, I need your help. I含羞草研究社檓 being crushed with debt. I含羞草研究社檓 completely wiped out.含羞草研究社� I had to say, 含羞草研究社楧onald, I can含羞草研究社檛 help you.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Even when Biden tries his hand at humor, he rarely strays far from talking about policies. He likes to note that he signed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law 含羞草研究社� after his opponent failed to do so despite repeatedly holding White House events to drum up support for an idea that never materialized.
含羞草研究社淗e promised 含羞草研究社業nfrastructure Week含羞草研究社� every week for four years and never built a damn thing,含羞草研究社� Biden said this month to a group of laughing union members.
The dilemma is that Trump, who tells voters the whole American political system is hopelessly corrupt, can get away with name-calling that would backfire on other candidates. During his rallies, Trump imitates Biden as a feeble old man who cannot find the stairs after giving a brief speech, and he calls the president 含羞草研究社渃rooked含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社渁 demented tyrant.含羞草研究社�
The Republican含羞草研究社檚 campaign said the insults will only intensify as Biden tries to give them a taste of their own medicine.
Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, said Biden is 含羞草研究社渟huffling his feet like a short-circuited Roomba,含羞草研究社� referring to the robot vacuum, while failing to address the 含羞草研究社渙ut-of-control border含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社渞unaway inflation.含羞草研究社�
Rick Tyler, who worked on the presidential campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2016, said voters have a double standard because expectations are different for Trump, who first became famous as a real estate developer and the star of the reality TV show 含羞草研究社淭he Apprentice.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淐elebrities don含羞草研究社檛 really have standards, and Trump is in that lane,含羞草研究社� Tyler said. For a politician going up against Trump, 含羞草研究社渋t含羞草研究社檚 like trying to play a sport with the wrong equipment.含羞草研究社�
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., found that out the hard way in the Republican primary in 2016. After Rubio joked about Trump having 含羞草研究社渟mall hands含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� suggesting that another part of him was small, too 含羞草研究社� Trump swung back by saying, 含羞草研究社淚 guarantee you there含羞草研究社檚 no problem.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淣obody has ever beaten Trump by getting in the ring with him,含羞草研究社� said Alex Conant, communications director for Rubio含羞草研究社檚 campaign.
Karen Finney, who advised Democrat Hillary Clinton in her 2016 White House run, said Trump can bait opponents into 含羞草研究社渃ommunicating on his terms, not your terms.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 the kind of thing where you have to have a balance,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淵ou could spend all day just responding.含羞草研究社�
But if Trump含羞草研究社檚 humor is blunt, Biden sometimes tries to get the most mileage by staying subtle. During a Pittsburgh stop earlier this month, Biden spoke elliptically about Trump含羞草研究社檚 trial, betting his audience was already in on the joke.
Trump, he said, is 含羞草研究社渁 little busy right now.含羞草研究社�
Chris Megerian And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
