Former Vice President Joe Biden spoke in Davenport, Iowa Tuesday evening, giving one of the strongest speeches he’s made thus far about President Donald Trump’s impact on the United States.
According to Biden, Trump’s inexperience and “tough guy” attitude is part of the problem in a diplomatic world that depends on measured and rational negotiations with foreign leaders. Diplomacy has not been the president’s strong suit, as he attempts to negotiate trade deals, denuclearization treaties and other agreements.
These are the top ten comments in the speech from Biden that crushed Trump:
1. “I hope Trump’s presence here will be a clarifying event.”
Biden began by dropping shade about the president’s lack of understanding about how his policies are impacting Americans.
“He thinks he’s being tough. Well, it’s easy to be tough when someone else is feeling the pain,” he echoed from his remarks Tuesday morning. While farmers are suffering, Trump continues to play games with trade agreements. The trade war along with a season of serious flooding, hail and tornadoes have left farmers in a difficult spot. Biden hoped that Trump might learn something during the Iowa visit.
“How many sleepless nights do you think Trump has had over what he’s doing to America’s farmers?” Biden asked.
2. “Any beginning econ student at Iowa or Iowa State could tell you that the American people are paying his tariffs.”
Indeed, Trump believes that China is the one paying for the tariffs that he has issued. In reality, those costs are being passed onto the American people who are buying the products. It’s unclear where Trump got his education on trade, but it certainly wasn’t from the Wharton School of Business.
3. “While Trump is tweeting, China is making massive investments in technologies of the future.”
Biden explained that Trump’s single-mindedness is preventing him from competing with China on a whole host of issues. From green energy, to infrastructure and international relationships with our allies, China is besting the U.S. Biden said, and Trump is to blame.
4. “How about when he said the way to deal with California’s fires was to rake the leaves?”
Biden pulled out some of Trump’s greatest hits in denying the climate crisis. While the country was ravaged by floods, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes in the last year, Trump has claimed that the “weather comes and goes.”
5. “He thinks [equality] makes us weak. He has no idea it’s what makes us strong.”
One of Biden’s most poignant remarks came when he quoted the part of Declaration of Independence that lists equality as an obvious right of all people.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident – that all men – and all women – are created equal,” Biden cited. “It’s the American creed. But Trump sneers at it.”
The words hold particularly true as Pride Month is celebrated in cities across the U.S. throughout June. The same can be said for the fight women continue to battle in Trump’s America.
6. “Remember when Trump’s Justice Department decided to argue that the Affordable Care Act in its entirety is unconstitutional just a few months ago?”
Biden called out Trump’s sudden realization that health care is not a winning issue for the Republican Party, after they spent nearly a decade attacking the Affordable Care Act and trying to undermine it. As they’ve chipped away at the law, Americans have been forced to deal with their mistakes and the aftermath.
“Now he’s got his tail between his legs and barely mentions it – doesn’t even tweet about it – because he knows the American people will give him a thrashing in 2020 just like they gave the Republicans in 2018 for trying to get rid of it,” Biden continued. “Well – guess what? If I become the nominee of this party, I’m going to give Trump a thrashing every day on health care.”
7. Trump cut funding to cancer research.
Not included in the prepared remarks, Biden noted that he and former President Barack Obama launched the cancer moon-shot, but when Trump came into office, he cut funding to research. Earlier in the day, Biden vowed to fully fund that moon-shot again and wage a war on cancer to find a cure.
8. “Most teenagers would do that.”
Biden addressed Trump’s strange fascination attacking people in the middle of the night on Twitter. He referenced the attack on Bette Midler while he was overseas in Normandy celebrating the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Like many before him, Biden noted that no president in history would have done something like that because they hold the Office of the President in the highest of esteem.
9. “No, you don’t, Donald Trump!”
Biden cited the many times Trump has bragged about his “absolute power” and that he is the most powerful. Biden schooled him, saying “no, you don’t!”
10. “Donald – it’s not about you. It’s about America.”
The final quote is one that hits Trump to the very core of who he is. The president’s need to make everything about him is remarked on by everyone from pundits to psychologists. Some have suspected a narcissistic personality disorder, while others allege sociopathy. Whatever it is, Biden nailed the president’s greatest flaw: putting himself before the country.
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