Joe Biden just can’t help himself when it comes to hypocrisy. Last night, he took to the airwaves with a call for political calm, painting himself as the peacemaker-in-chief. He lectured Americans about the importance of lowering the political temperature and refraining from viewing each other as enemies. One might almost think he was serious, but Monday’s antics show otherwise.
Enter J.D. Vance, the Ohio senator who was just announced as Donald Trump’s running mate. This news started a veritable firestorm from the Biden camp. Not even 24 hours after Biden’s plea for peace, his campaign plastered social media with messages attacking Trump and Vance. The Biden team labeled them as intent on harming middle-class families with their tax policies and suggested, in true fear-mongering fashion, that America must “Defeat Trump-Vance.”
Biden falsely claims he has never engaged in inflammatory rhetoric against Trump
Here are some direct quotes from Biden attacking Trump:
3/22/18: ""If we were in high school, I'd take him [Trump] behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.'"
9/1/22: "Donald Trump and the MAGA… pic.twitter.com/FFJdFwGTZE
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) July 15, 2024
Adding fuel to the bonfire, Biden’s campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon accused Vance of being willing to go where Mike Pence wouldn’t – specifically, enabling an extreme MAGA agenda and breaking the law. Wasn’t this the same administration that was just preaching about cooling down heated political rhetoric? Apparently, the gospel of civility has a short expiry date in the Biden White House.
Biden’s double-talk isn’t new. He’s repeatedly used inflammatory language against Trump while claiming his focus is on unifying the country. He even bragged in the past about wanting to “beat the hell out of” Trump if they were still in school. Yet, now he wants everyone to believe he’s the diplomat sent to heal a divided nation? Give Americans a break. His approach can be summed up easily: Diamond Joe throws a rhetorical molotov and then preaches about fire safety.
Joe Biden just reneged on his entire Oval Office speech from last night and is now essentially saying that Donald Trump incited the violence against himself.
This is incendiary rhetoric all over again.
I’m not shocked he didn’t even last 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/ZAqSNDlBhM
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) July 15, 2024
The irony of Biden’s recent conduct didn’t go unnoticed. J.D. Vance himself highlighted the absurdity. He pointed out that it’s the very rhetoric from Biden’s camp that fuels division and violent sentiment. The attempted assassination of Trump might not be an isolated incident but a direct consequence of the toxic atmosphere fostered by Biden’s portrayal of Trump as a fascist threat to democracy.
Here’s the bitter pill: Biden’s call for political calm is little more than a political stunt. For all his talk about unity, his actions prove he’s more interested in stoking division to rally his base. It’s all about defeating Trump, whatever the rhetoric costs. Biden might dress up his intentions in the garb of peace and civility, but at the heart of his campaign lies a strategy of divide and conquer. So much for lowering the political temperature.