President Joe Biden had one of his most puzzling moments last Friday while giving remarks about gun control in Connecticut. To conclude his remarks, Biden declared, "All right, God save the queen, man." There's no defending this one, yet Axios nevertheless sought to insert all kinds of spin with "Biden's weird words."
Biden wraps up his remarks in Connecticut: "Alright, God save the queen, man" pic.twitter.com/NJShsIA1eg
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 16, 2023
The article begins by pointing out how not even Biden's own staff knows what he's talking about, in that he "often uses old-timey expressions that confound even his own staff." The White House's response makes it all the more concerning:
- Even Olivia Dalton, the White House’s principal deputy press secretary, didn't know what her boss meant. When journalists asked, she replied only that he “was commenting to someone in the crowd.”
- Later, the White House didn't respond when Axios asked what Biden had meant.
Biden had also used the phrase as vice president in January 2017, when certifying the 2016 election results. Axios notes that "several" of the current and former Biden aides they asked "gave different answers and some said they still aren't sure." His Irish background may have something to do with it too. "As a proud Irishman whose ancestors probably weren't fans of the crown, Biden may use the phrase more as sarcasm," Axios had to offer.
Not even Biden's own staff, who often bends over backward to have to provide cover for and spin the president's words, know what is going on here. Axios admits as much. That's what makes it that much worse, then, that the article also tries to make it about how it's Republicans who are making an issue of this. Further, if we're to take Axios' word for it, it's not something to make a big deal out of:
Why it matters: Biden’s quirky aphorisms are sometimes weaponized by Republicans to insinuate the 80-year-old president is in mental decline. But Biden has been using unique phrases for years — but even some of his aides aren't exactly sure what he means by them.
...
On the campaign trail in New Hampshire in 2020, Biden sort of jokingly called a skeptical voter a “lying, dog-faced pony soldier.”
- He's claimed in the past that line was from John Wayne, but film aficionados haven't been able to find the movie (there is a 1952 film called “Pony Soldier” but Wayne's not in it).
Bottom line: There are legitimate questions about Biden's age and stamina as he runs for a second term — but his off-beat proverbs are just Biden being Biden.
That part of the speech befuddled many, not just Republicans. At least Republicans aren't afraid to address the concerns about Biden's mental capacity.
For all the spin, there's a familiar refrain in that nobody knows what the president is actually saying. And it's getting worse. During those same remarks, Biden shared that he needs his wife and daughter, Ashley, to tell him when to shave in the morning by taping a sign to the mirror.
Biden: “The way everything gets to me through my wife and daughter now is they know I have to shave in the morning, so they’ll tape on the mirror. For real!”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 16, 2023
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Multiple polls and even more friendly news outlets have highlighted how Americans, even and including Biden's fellow Democrats, are concerned with Biden's age and mental fitness. Likewise, many don't want him running for president.