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 president91裸聊视频檚 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 opponent91裸聊视频檚 financial problems, and now Biden regularly pokes fun at Trump91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淭his is a constant challenge,91裸聊视频� said Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama. Trump is 91裸聊视频渘ot someone who plays by the rules. So it91裸聊视频檚 up to Biden to figure out how to adapt and play by new rules of engagement.91裸聊视频�
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 Correspondents91裸聊视频� Association dinner on Saturday night. After years of Trump constantly needling Biden as 91裸聊视频渟leepy91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频淪leepy Don,91裸聊视频� adding, 91裸聊视频淚 kind of like that. I may use it again.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频漁f course the 2024 election91裸聊视频檚 in full swing and yes, age is an issue,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 a grown man running against a 6-year-old.91裸聊视频�
But jokes at the annual black-tie affair, which also features a professional comedian (this year it was Colin Jost of NBC91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淪aturday Night Live91裸聊视频�), are nothing new. The real meat of Biden91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淩emember when he was trying to deal with COVID? He suggested: Inject a little bleach in your vein,91裸聊视频� Biden said Wednesday to a labor union, describing Trump91裸聊视频檚 guidance from the White House during the pandemic. 91裸聊视频淗e missed. It all went to his hair.91裸聊视频�
In Tampa, Florida, the day before, he assailed Trump for the Supreme Court91裸聊视频檚 ruling that overturned abortion protections 91裸聊视频� with three justices nominated by Trump voting in the majority of Dobbs v. Jackson Women91裸聊视频檚 Health Organization 91裸聊视频� and then pivoted to the former president91裸聊视频檚 hawking of a $60 91裸聊视频淕od Bless the USA91裸聊视频� Bible.
91裸聊视频淗e described the Dobbs decision as a 91裸聊视频榤iracle,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Biden said of Trump. 91裸聊视频淢aybe it91裸聊视频檚 coming from that Bible he91裸聊视频檚 trying to sell. Whoa. I almost wanted to buy one just to see what the hell is in it.91裸聊视频�
Biden rarely references Trump91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淛ust the other day,91裸聊视频� Biden said at a fundraiser in Dallas last month, 91裸聊视频渁 defeated-looking guy came up to me and said, 91裸聊视频楳r. President, I need your help. I91裸聊视频檓 being crushed with debt. I91裸聊视频檓 completely wiped out.91裸聊视频� I had to say, 91裸聊视频楧onald, I can91裸聊视频檛 help you.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�
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 91裸聊视频� after his opponent failed to do so despite repeatedly holding White House events to drum up support for an idea that never materialized.
91裸聊视频淗e promised 91裸聊视频業nfrastructure Week91裸聊视频� every week for four years and never built a damn thing,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渃rooked91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渁 demented tyrant.91裸聊视频�
The Republican91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渟huffling his feet like a short-circuited Roomba,91裸聊视频� referring to the robot vacuum, while failing to address the 91裸聊视频渙ut-of-control border91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渞unaway inflation.91裸聊视频�
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 91裸聊视频淭he Apprentice.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淐elebrities don91裸聊视频檛 really have standards, and Trump is in that lane,91裸聊视频� Tyler said. For a politician going up against Trump, 91裸聊视频渋t91裸聊视频檚 like trying to play a sport with the wrong equipment.91裸聊视频�
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., found that out the hard way in the Republican primary in 2016. After Rubio joked about Trump having 91裸聊视频渟mall hands91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� suggesting that another part of him was small, too 91裸聊视频� Trump swung back by saying, 91裸聊视频淚 guarantee you there91裸聊视频檚 no problem.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淣obody has ever beaten Trump by getting in the ring with him,91裸聊视频� said Alex Conant, communications director for Rubio91裸聊视频檚 campaign.
Karen Finney, who advised Democrat Hillary Clinton in her 2016 White House run, said Trump can bait opponents into 91裸聊视频渃ommunicating on his terms, not your terms.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the kind of thing where you have to have a balance,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淵ou could spend all day just responding.91裸聊视频�
But if Trump91裸聊视频檚 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 Trump91裸聊视频檚 trial, betting his audience was already in on the joke.
Trump, he said, is 91裸聊视频渁 little busy right now.91裸聊视频�
Chris Megerian And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
