Donald Trump is sullenly fighting for the presidency. Joe Biden, on the other hand, happily puts on a Trump cap – self-ironic and conciliatory. Even opponents like it.
What does Joe Biden, 81, President of the United States, actually do? He’s standing in a fire station in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, grinning from ear to ear. A red “Trump 2024” cap sits atop his head, like an undersized giant tomato. The spectators are happy and clap.
Does this actually happen? The most powerful man in the world posing with the cap of the (domestic) political archenemy? What’s going on there?
Joe Biden supports Donald Trump
Of course, the image of the visibly amused Democrat with Trump ads spread like wildfire. “Biden supports Trump,” countless X users tweeted every second. Often in the pose of great beer seriousness. Finally: Doesn’t this unlikely volte fit seamlessly into this US election campaign, which is rich in unlikely voltes?
61 days ago, on July 13, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. Afterwards, all experts were certain: These shots would decide the election in Trump’s favor. Just a week and a half later, on July 21, Democratic incumbent Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy. The virtually decided race between two old men received a refreshing kick in the butt and turned the head of state, who had just been campaigning, into the lamest of all ducks.
Relaxed guy in an age-stiff president
Since then, Biden, the “friendly, older gentleman with a bad memory,” has enjoyed freedom as a fool. He continues to play a role in the election campaign. Because the race is close and there are still a lot of people to convince of the Democrats. Although: The team of his successor in the election campaign, Kamala Harris, is unsure whether Biden’s use of handshakes is more useful or annoying. What is undisputed, however, is that there is still a relaxed character in the age-stiff president.
“Scranton Joe” is one of his many nicknames – after his birthplace, Scranton, a former industrial city. For many years of his political life, Biden toured the country half chummy, half uncle. His ear was usually close to the workers, but he was also always good with conservatives. With his friendly nature, Biden was the great bringer together. Which is why the “Trump hat incident” now in Shanksville, a four-hour drive from his birthplace, was one of those moments for which Joe Biden is most liked. Because he was just Joe Biden.
The cap of unity
The event with the firefighters took place to commemorate the terrorist attacks of September 11th – a deeply traumatic but also unifying event for Americans. A video shows Biden standing next to a man wearing a Trump cap. They joke about their advanced age, and the president puts his autograph on one of his caps, which he wants to give to the Republican supporter. He agrees to the deal on the condition that Biden puts on his hat again – “in the spirit of unity,” as the White House quoted him.
And so it happens that the Democrat and US President Joe Biden laughs broadly into the cameras with a red Trump cap on his head. The headdress looks unhappily draped because he is wearing his own cap underneath. Did he know that these pictures would go around the world? Presumably, the 81-year-old is a professional. Will they harm or benefit him? Maybe that’s the wrong question.
Because the conciliator Biden never had anything to do with this antagonistic thinking. And people see what they want to see anyway: his fans the jolly old man, the Republicans the senile old man. Now that his career is approaching, Biden has so little to lose that in a difficult hour he can remind Americans of one of their best qualities: self-deprecation.
Harris is campaigning, Biden is on vacation: Who is currently governing the USA?
This is what the polls for the US election are like
Historical election campaign debates in the USA
