Politics
Biden says he’s been called by all living ex-presidents ‘but one’ in veiled attack on ‘the former guy’ Trump
PRESIDENT Joe Biden on Tuesday said that every living past president has called him but one, in a seeming veiled attack on his predecessor Donald Trump.
Biden made the jab at Trump – who he also dismissed as “the former guy” – during a CNN town hall in which moderator Anderson Cooper asked if he had picked up the phone and called any former presidents.
President Joe Biden spoke at a CNN town hall on Tuesday night[/caption]
President Joe Biden referred to his predecessor as ‘the former guy’[/caption]
“Yes I have,” Biden replied.
“Do you want to say who?” Cooper asked.
Biden replied: “No, I don’t. They’re private conversations.”
Then, unprompted, Biden hit at Trump without naming him.
President Joe Biden said all living former presidents but one have called him[/caption]
“But, by the way, all of them, with one exception, picked up the phone and called me as well,” Biden said.
Biden’s remark signaled a change in tone from Inauguration Day last month, when he told reporters at the White House that Trump left him a letter that appeared to set the stage for a conversation.
“The president wrote a very generous letter,” Biden said at the time.
“Because it was private, I won’t talk about it until I talk to him. But it was generous.”
Former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush attended President Joe Biden’s inauguration[/caption]
That talk seems to have never materialized.
Trump, who was acquitted during his second impeachment trial on Saturday, did not attend Biden’s inauguration ceremony.
Former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton attended Biden’s inauguration, while Jimmy Carter, 96, did not, largely due to travel concerns during the coronavirus pandemic.
At the town hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Biden referred to Trump as “the former guy” when Cooper asked if he was committed to passing a $1.9trillion Covid-19 relief bill.
Ex-President Barack Obama was one of three living presidents that attended President Joe Biden’s inauguration[/caption]
“Remember you and I talking during the campaign, that you had the former guy saying that well, you know, we just can open things up, that’s all we need to do,” Biden said.
“We said no, you got to deal with the disease before you deal with getting the economy going.”
Biden’s response to the pandemic was a focal point of the town hall, as Cooper opened by asking when every American who wants to get the coronavirus vaccine will be able to access it.
All living presidents attended President Joe Biden’s inauguration except for his predecessor Donald Trump and Jimmy Carter who is 96 years old[/caption]
The 46th president said that the country will have more than 600million doses, enough to vaccinate the entire population, by the end of July.
“We came into office, there was only 50 million doses that are available,” Biden said in another stab of Trump.
During the town hall, Biden defended his plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and said that white supremacists are the greatest domestic threat in the country.
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Biden also said he would not interfere in any possible investigations to prosecute Trump for his actions as president, leaving it to the Department of Justice.
“Look, for four years all that’s been in the news is Trump. The next four years I want to make sure all the news is the American people,” Biden said.
“I’m tired of talking about Trump.”
