Former Vice President Joe Biden slammed President Donald J. Trump via Twitter on Tuesday for the president's use of the word "lynching" to describe the current impeachment inquiry into his administration. However, the only problem with Biden's newfound admonishment is that roughly 21 years ago, he used the very same phrase to describe the impeachment of then-President Bill Clinton.
"So some day, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching. But we will WIN!" President Trump tweeted.
So some day, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching. But we will WIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2019
Impeachment is not "lynching," it is part of our Constitution. Our country has a dark, shameful history with lynching, and to even think about making this comparison is abhorrent. It's despicable. https://t.co/QcC25vhNeb
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 22, 2019
But, as pointed out by CNN's Andrew Kaczynski, Biden used this very phrase on CNN in 1998. ""Even if the President should be impeached, history is going to question whether or not this was just a partisan lynching or whether or not it was something that in fact met the standard, the very high bar, that was set by the founders as to what constituted an impeachable offense," he told Wolf Blitzer. (emphasis added).
While Biden has called Trump’s lynching comments “abhorrent” and “despicable,” in 1998 appearance on CNN, Biden said impeachment could end up being viewed as a “partisan lynching.” https://t.co/4jGo8hSQSZhttps://t.co/6p210g7M6l pic.twitter.com/UkJiXLsHOG
— andrew kaczynski?? (@KFILE) October 22, 2019
President Trump was universally condemned by Democrats, and some Republicans, for his use of the word Tuesday morning. However, as pointed out Turning Point USA, a slew of Democrats used some variant of this term during the Clinton era.
“Indeed it is a Political Lynching” pic.twitter.com/tNSnYDcLHW
— ALX ???? ?? (@alx) October 22, 2019
Nadler: “I wish we could get this over with quickly. … In pushing the process, in pushing the arguments of fairness and due process the Republicans so far have been running a lynch mob.” https://t.co/lHWWFXW5eE
— ALX ???? ?? (@alx) October 22, 2019
Democratic Senator @JohnKerry:
— ALX ???? ?? (@alx) October 22, 2019
“It’s a verbal political Lynching on the floor of the Senate” pic.twitter.com/LmvPb8VhPC
Some have questioned why this matters, but as Dan O'Donnell stated via Twitter, "the rather obvious point is that the same people who are currently on the fainting couches over Trump’s use of the term are pretty clearly feigning their outrage since they themselves used the exact same term in the exact same context."
I love ya, Jonah, but the rather obvious point is that the same people who are currently on the fainting couches over Trump’s use of the term are pretty clearly feigning their outrage since they themselves used the exact same term in the exact same context
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) October 22, 2019
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