President Joe Biden reacted to former President Donald Trump’s mug shot on Aug. 25 after his Pilates class in Lake Tahoe, where he’s vacationing with several family members.
When reporters asked the president about his opinion, he first laughed.
“Handsome guy. Wonderful guy,” the president said.
President Biden also for the first time spoke about the first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate aired on Fox News on the evening of Aug. 23
The president stated that he did not recall the candidates discussing any important national issues, including addressing economic growth, job security, and education.
“There was a lot of talk. But what are they going to do to deal with economic growth? What are they going to do to deal with ... maintaining the job pace that we have now? What are they going to do to deal with education?”
President Trump spoke to reporters afterward on the tarmac before flying back to Florida.
“I really believe this is a very sad day for America, this should never have happened,” he said.
“What has taken place here is a travesty of justice. We did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong,” President Trump said, adding that he’s “never had such support.”
He decried the four separate cases against him as “election interference,” pointing out the irony of being indicted over making requests to investigate election fraud.
In his first post on X since Jan. 8, 2021, President Trump also posted his mugshot on Thursday evening with the message: “ELECTION INTERFERENCE. NEVER SURRENDER!”
President Trump’s campaign is expected to utilize the mugshot as a fundraising opportunity; after his first indictment in April, his campaign began selling t-shirts with a fake mugshot and the words “Not Guilty” underneath.
In total, President Trump has been charged with 91 counts across four criminal cases.
Biden Reacts to Republican Debate
President Biden shared his reaction to the Republican debate first on social media on Aug. 23.The president responded to several candidates’ indications that they would still support President Trump as the party’s nominee if he were convicted.
Eight candidates qualified for the first debate: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
President Trump announced on Aug. 20 that he wouldn’t participate in this week’s debate, saying, “The public knows who I am.”
When asked whether they would support President Trump, Ms. Haley, Mr. Burgum, Mr. Scott, Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Ramaswamy, and Mr. Pence all indicated they would.
President Biden’s campaign reportedly placed a large ad purchase on Fox News’ website before the Republican primary debate, using the event to promote his message.
After the debate, President Biden also invited social media users to compare him with the GOP candidates.
“You know, my Dad used to say: ‘Don’t compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative.’ So, tonight, compare me to the alternative. And then donate,” he wrote on X.
President Biden also criticized Republican hopefuls for being climate change skeptics.
Meanwhile, the president and his economic strategy, Bidenomics, came under fire during the debate.
“Our country is in decline. This decline is not inevitable; it’s a choice,” Mr. DeSantis said during the debate. “We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline.”
Republican candidates also criticized President Biden for his response to the Hawaii wildfires and his border policies and foreign policies.
