The president’s comments about “smacking” Republicans during a Scranton rally reflect the growing trend of informal political speech.
President Joe Biden’s latest colorful remarks about former President Donald Trump and his Republican loyalists at a rally in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, spotlight an increasingly evident trend in American political discourse: the normalization of informal and occasionally coarse language on the campaign trail.
During Saturday’s speech to the local carpenters’ union in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden departed from his prepared remarks after warning about potential plans to cut taxes for the wealthy should Trump win a second term.
“Now, I know some of you guys are tempted to think it’s macho guys”, Biden said, alluding to Trump’s appeal to male voters. “I tell you what, man, when I was in Scranton, we used to have a little trouble going down the plot once in a while. These are the kind of guys you’d like to smack in the a**.”
Newsweek contacted Trump’s campaign, as well as Biden’s spokesperson for comment via email on Saturday.
Media personality Nick Sortor reposted the viral clip from the event, drawing comparisons to a recent rally from Harris’ running mate.
NBC News White House correspondent Mike Memoli posted an image from the event on X: “@POTUS, back at the Carpenters Hall in Scranton, warns GOP wants to repeal the ACA & CHIPS, cut Social Security so they can cut taxes for wealthy again.
