America’s political temperature began rising Monday, stoked by the campaign of the candidate who called for political calm.
On Sunday night, President Joe Biden intoned about “the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics.
Addressing the nation, he said, “While we may disagree, we are not enemies.”
Biden continued, “The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It’s time to cool it down. And we all have a responsibility to do that.”
Then came Monday and the announcement that Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio would be Trump’s running mate
“Protest Democracy,” a Biden campaign ad fear-mongered on X. “Defeat Trump-Vance.”
Here’s the deal about J.D. Vance. He talks a big game about working people. But now, he and Trump want to raise taxes on middle-class families while pushing more tax cuts for the rich.
Well, I don’t intend to let them. And if you’re with me, pitch in: https://t.co/ALkc9uHFh9
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 15, 2024
Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon piled on, as noted by NBC.
Have we ever had a more hypocritical president than Joe Biden?
“Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate because Vance will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on Jan. 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people,” O’Malley Dillon said.
NBC said two sources told it the Biden campaign will characterize Vance as “extreme.”
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
Biden has used extreme language in private to talk about Trump, according to Politico.
“We need to move forward. Look, we have roughly 40 days til the convention, 120 days til the election. We can’t waste any more time being distracted,” Biden said in a July 8 call to supporters.
“I have one job, and that’s to beat Donald Trump. I’m absolutely certain I’m the best person to be able to do that. So, we’re done talking about the debate,” Biden continued.
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
“It’s time to put Trump in a bullseye,” he concluded.
Vance was among those who called out Biden and Democrats for their rhetoric after Saturday’s attempt to assassinate Trump.
Today is not just some isolated incident.
The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.
That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 14, 2024
“Today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination,” Vance posted on X.