In the weekend leading up to the Georgia primaries, both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden held rallies in the state, marking what seemed to be their final push to win over Georgia voters. In their characteristic manner, the current and former presidents exchanged criticisms, particularly targeting each other’s policies, with a strong emphasis on illegal immigration and its perceived threats to Americans.
Clinching the nominations
On the preceding Tuesday, Biden and Trump secured their nominations from their respective parties. With Trump’s legal team effectively delaying his legal challenges, the possibility of a November election face-off between him and Biden is growing more likely. The Biden campaign is focusing on the economy and the nation’s performance under his administration, while the Trump campaign is concentrating on the issue of illegal immigration, which remains a significant concern for many Americans.
Biden’s age problem for voters
Recent polls indicate that a major concern for voters is Biden’s age and whether he is capable of leading the nation for another four years. Trump has been exploiting these concerns in his public appearances, speeches, and rallies, often crossing the line in his attempts to provoke reactions from his supporters. During the rally in Georgia, Trump ridiculed Biden’s stutter, an action that a former top aide to Obama interpreted as a sign of Trump’s weakness.
David Axelrod comments
David Axelrod, the former aide to President Obama and a senior political commentator for CNN, openly criticized former President Trump last week after the Georgia rally. Axelrod’s rebuke came in response to Trump’s behavior at the campaign rally in Georgia over the weekend, where he mocked President Biden’s stutter.
“Mocking someone’s stutter for laughs is pathetic and small, the stuff of schoolyard bullies not grownups,” Axelrod wrote early Monday morning on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Acting like a total jackass doesn’t make you strong,” he added.
Mocking someone's stutter for laughs is pathetic and small, the stuff of schoolyard bullies not grownups.
Acting like a total jackass doesn't make you strong.— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) March 11, 2024
A sign of weakness
Just before releasing his statement, David Axelrod took to social media to share a post that characterized Trump’s comments as indicative of “a sign of weakness, moral and otherwise.” This post was accompanied by a brief video clip showcasing Trump’s remarks. In the video, Trump is seen attempting to mimic President Biden, mockingly stuttering, “I’m going to bring the country t- t- t- t- together,” in an apparent jibe at Biden’s stutter. Trump then prolongs his imitation, deliberately slurring his words as he repeats, “I’m going to bring it together,” further emphasizing the mockery.
Read also: Pro-Trump group failed to oust the top Wisconsin Republican, Robin Vos, for “working against Trump”
It’s not what it looked like, but…
The Washington Post, upon reviewing transcripts of Biden’s original speech from Thursday, pointed out that Biden never actually made the statement that Trump mocked. Despite this, Trump’s derogatory imitation triggered a wave of online criticism from both his detractors and disability rights advocates.
During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden candidly discussed his lifelong battle with stuttering, bringing a personal issue into the public eye. This aspect of Biden’s personal history gained significant attention following a detailed profile in The Atlantic, which brought the matter into the forefront of national discussion.
Read also: Chances of California Gov. Newsom running for president in case Biden drops revealed
Current standings
According to Decision Desk HQ/The Hill’s national polling average in head-to-head match-ups between Trump and Biden, Trump leads by 0.8 percentage points. The current data is based on 604 polls.
