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