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香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 financial problems, and now Biden regularly pokes fun at Trump香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a constant challenge,香蕉视频直播� said Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama. Trump is 香蕉视频直播渘ot someone who plays by the rules. So it香蕉视频直播檚 up to Biden to figure out how to adapt and play by new rules of engagement.香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播� Association dinner on Saturday night. After years of Trump constantly needling Biden as 香蕉视频直播渟leepy香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淪leepy Don,香蕉视频直播� adding, 香蕉视频直播淚 kind of like that. I may use it again.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播漁f course the 2024 election香蕉视频直播檚 in full swing and yes, age is an issue,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 a grown man running against a 6-year-old.香蕉视频直播�
But jokes at the annual black-tie affair, which also features a professional comedian (this year it was Colin Jost of NBC香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淪aturday Night Live香蕉视频直播�), are nothing new. The real meat of Biden香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淩emember when he was trying to deal with COVID? He suggested: Inject a little bleach in your vein,香蕉视频直播� Biden said Wednesday to a labor union, describing Trump香蕉视频直播檚 guidance from the White House during the pandemic. 香蕉视频直播淗e missed. It all went to his hair.香蕉视频直播�
In Tampa, Florida, the day before, he assailed Trump for the Supreme Court香蕉视频直播檚 ruling that overturned abortion protections 香蕉视频直播� with three justices nominated by Trump voting in the majority of Dobbs v. Jackson Women香蕉视频直播檚 Health Organization 香蕉视频直播� and then pivoted to the former president香蕉视频直播檚 hawking of a $60 香蕉视频直播淕od Bless the USA香蕉视频直播� Bible.
香蕉视频直播淗e described the Dobbs decision as a 香蕉视频直播榤iracle,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 Biden said of Trump. 香蕉视频直播淢aybe it香蕉视频直播檚 coming from that Bible he香蕉视频直播檚 trying to sell. Whoa. I almost wanted to buy one just to see what the hell is in it.香蕉视频直播�
Biden rarely references Trump香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淛ust the other day,香蕉视频直播� Biden said at a fundraiser in Dallas last month, 香蕉视频直播渁 defeated-looking guy came up to me and said, 香蕉视频直播楳r. President, I need your help. I香蕉视频直播檓 being crushed with debt. I香蕉视频直播檓 completely wiped out.香蕉视频直播� I had to say, 香蕉视频直播楧onald, I can香蕉视频直播檛 help you.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
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 香蕉视频直播� after his opponent failed to do so despite repeatedly holding White House events to drum up support for an idea that never materialized.
香蕉视频直播淗e promised 香蕉视频直播業nfrastructure Week香蕉视频直播� every week for four years and never built a damn thing,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渃rooked香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渁 demented tyrant.香蕉视频直播�
The Republican香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渟huffling his feet like a short-circuited Roomba,香蕉视频直播� referring to the robot vacuum, while failing to address the 香蕉视频直播渙ut-of-control border香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渞unaway inflation.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播淭he Apprentice.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淐elebrities don香蕉视频直播檛 really have standards, and Trump is in that lane,香蕉视频直播� Tyler said. For a politician going up against Trump, 香蕉视频直播渋t香蕉视频直播檚 like trying to play a sport with the wrong equipment.香蕉视频直播�
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., found that out the hard way in the Republican primary in 2016. After Rubio joked about Trump having 香蕉视频直播渟mall hands香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� suggesting that another part of him was small, too 香蕉视频直播� Trump swung back by saying, 香蕉视频直播淚 guarantee you there香蕉视频直播檚 no problem.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淣obody has ever beaten Trump by getting in the ring with him,香蕉视频直播� said Alex Conant, communications director for Rubio香蕉视频直播檚 campaign.
Karen Finney, who advised Democrat Hillary Clinton in her 2016 White House run, said Trump can bait opponents into 香蕉视频直播渃ommunicating on his terms, not your terms.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 the kind of thing where you have to have a balance,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou could spend all day just responding.香蕉视频直播�
But if Trump香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 trial, betting his audience was already in on the joke.
Trump, he said, is 香蕉视频直播渁 little busy right now.香蕉视频直播�
Chris Megerian And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
