In recent weeks, President Joe Biden and other members of his staff have repeatedly been caught on hot mic making disparaging remarks about those with whom they disagree. This is a troubling trend that shows just how little regard the President and his team have for their opponents and it runs counter to the message of “unity” that Biden has espoused in recent months.
It started on May 17th when Biden called Fox News’ Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a b-tch” during an exchange about inflation at the White House. Despite earlier warnings from Biden to White House staff that he would fire them on the spot if they treated colleagues with disrespect or talked down to someone, it appears that these admonitions fell on deaf ears.
Not long after this incident, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci referred to Kansas Senator Roger Marshall as “a moron” while speaking with reporters off the record. Although Fauci quickly apologized for his comment, it again serves to show the level of disrespect coming from the upper echelons of the Biden Administration.
Perhaps most concerning was an incident at Biden’s second press conference as president when he attacked RealClearPolitics’ reporter Philip Wegmann over his question regarding divisive comparisons made by the president between those opposed to Democratic legislation and Jim Crow-era segregationists like Bull Connor and George Wallace. It is true that Wegmann’s question was not particularly cordial, however, review of the Georgia speech which sparked Wegmann’s inquiry reveals some rather inflammatory comments from Joe Biden about Republicans who are opposed to increasing restrictions in order for more Americans to vote; something which could be seen as a partisan attack.
Taken together, these incidents demonstrate that although Joe Biden may outwardly call for unity among Americans, he clearly has little respect for those who hold opposing political views or challenge him in any way. This behavior sets a poor example both for politicians and citizens alike, as it suggests that engaging in personal attacks is acceptable so long as you are powerful enough to not get reprimanded for doing so. The American public deserves better from its leaders and hopefully President Biden will soon understand this before irreparable damage is done to our country’s already fragile state of affairs.
