President Donald Trump’s fixation on criticizing his predecessor, Joe Biden, is starting to irk Republicans who want the White House to focus more on pocketbook issues.
Several Republicans on Capitol Hill privately — and some publicly — have grumbled about what they see as a constant revenge tour on Biden, who was urged by his own party last year to drop out of the presidential race.
“I do not think it’s helpful to keep talking about Joe Biden,” said Rep.
During the round table, Trump said Biden left his administration “a total mess” when it comes to U.S. agriculture and struggling farmers.
Trump’s rivalry with Biden stems heavily from the 2020 election, which the president continues to claim —without proof — was stolen from him. Since then, Trump has invoked Biden frequently in his public comments, blaming the former president from everything from high inflation to an uncontrolled southern border to several prolonged international wars.
Recently, Trump has shifted blame to Biden on the economy and affordability — a topic the administration has struggled to counter Democrats’ messaging on less than a year from the midterm elections that will determine which party controls Congress.
Trump invoked Biden while speaking in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, hammering his predecessor over inflation. The president spoke just outside of Biden’s hometown of Scranton.
Trump reiterated that the concept of “affordability” is a “hoax” and took shot at Biden’s signature legislation — the Inflation Reduction Act.
“It had nothing to do with inflation other than raising inflation,” he said.
The White House defended the tactic, saying Trump is working to “undo the chaos” of the previous administration.
“Every single day Americans are still living with the consequences of the disastrous Biden Administration,” Trump spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Bloomberg Government, “whether it be families recovering from the remnants of Biden’s inflation crisis or mourning the loss of a loved one who was senselessly murdered by a poorly vetted alien Biden welcomed into the country.”
Biden, 83, has kept a relatively low-profile since leaving office and grappling with a prostate diagnosis in May. The former president has rarely mentioned Trump by name even in his waning months in office.
However, in his first public remarks in months this week, Biden was equally critical of Trump, 79, and Republicans in how they’ve handled governing.
Speaking at an LGBTQ+ event in Washington, Biden said Trump and “MAGA Republicans” are seeking to distort the idea of equality and encouraged supporters to stand up against them.
Meanwhile, in a series of Truth Social posts just this week, Trump chided Biden on several different topics.
Trump accused Biden of weaponizing his Justice Department to go after Rep.
Trump also pointed to Biden in a post about rising gas prices and mentioned his rival’s son, Hunter Biden, in a post about CBS News’ 60 Minutes.
‘Punching Bag’
Trump’s timing of invoking Biden is notable given some of the recent setbacks the administration has faced on cost of living and increased public criticism by Republicans, Richard Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph-Macon College, said.
“Trump has used Biden as a punching bag,” Meagher said. “Attacking Joe Biden for whatever he did during his presidency was certainly popular during the 2024 campaign, so I think he’s trying to go back to that.”
Perhaps the most aggressive action Trump has sought to take is to cancel all documents signed by Biden using an autopen, arguing that the then-president wasn’t of sound mind to give directives ordering the use of the tool to stamp his signature.
Trump has already reversed dozens of Biden’s executive orders, and has said he wants to go after other documents, proclamations, memorandums and contracts signed by the former president, as well as pardons and commutations.
Trump threatened to bring perjury charges against Biden if he claimed he was in the right mind to direct staff to use the autopen.
The move has raised legal questions by lawmakers and analysts on the practicality of such a move, which would require evidence that would hold up in court that Biden wasn’t mentally fit during his time in office.
“Unless you have a whistleblower who is willing to come forward and say there was stuff done that he had no idea about, it’s hard to prove that,” said
Sen.
“That’s really uncharted territory,” Hawley said. “The whole autopen thing — I don’t think it’s been tested legally.”
Beyond the autopen threat, other lawmakers argued Biden just isn’t as relevant to the current political climate as a private citizen not running again for office.
“Pretty soon we move on,” said Rep.
Outgoing Rep.
“In the end, it’s not going to win you midterm elections,” Bacon said.
Democrats’ Reticence
While Trump has brought up Biden at nearly every turn, Democrats have seldom mentioned their one-time party leader since they urged him to drop out of the presidential race last year.
Rep.
Trump “goes back to the Biden well when he needs an adrenaline hit from his base,” Landsman said. Biden is “retired and hopefully enjoying time with his family. Our party has moved on.”
Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said Biden is an easy target for Trump to use to distract from other issues, but has limited reach.
“I don’t think he’s speaking to anybody except maybe his diehard supporters,” Bannon said. “It’s part of his campaign strategy to blame existing problems on Biden.”
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