WASHINGTON — While much of the country seems ready to move on from Joe Biden, Donald Trump clearly hasn’t.
On Jan. 20, the first day of his second term, Trump mentioned Biden more than a dozen times—and he hasn’t let up since. As Trump approaches the 100-day mark of his presidency, he continues to invoke his predecessor with the intensity of a campaign still underway.
But it’s not. Biden withdrew from the 2024 race and exited public office for good. Still, Trump sees strategic value in keeping Biden front and center—as a symbol of past failures and a convenient political foil.
Bringing up Biden helps remind voters why they turned away from him and Vice President Kamala Harris: high inflation, border issues, and a general sense of dissatisfaction. At the same time, it deflects attention from Trump’s own rocky return, including erratic moments and renewed controversies.
At this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll, as kids rolled pastel-colored eggs across the South Lawn, Trump worked the crowd and revived a forgotten Biden moment. In 2022, an aide in an Easter Bunny costume had to redirect a confused-looking President Biden mid-event.
“Remember the bunny with Joe Biden?” Trump asked the crowd. “Remember when the bunny had to lead him away? That’s not happening to Trump.” Nearby, a staffer in a bunny suit nodded along in agreement.
To drive the point home, the official White House X account posted a clip of the exchange, captioned: “The White House is no longer a nursing home.”
In a statement to accompany this article, White House spokesperson Liz Huston also referenced Biden, highlighting what she described as President Trump’s efforts to undo the damage left by his predecessor.
“President Trump has spent the first three months of his term cleaning up the mess Joe Biden left behind and Making America Great Again,” Huston said. “Thanks to his leadership, the border is secure, inflation is easing, jobs are on the rise, and common sense has returned to Washington.”
Trump’s ongoing commentary about Biden remains fueled by a mix of personal grievance and political strategy. He still insists the 2020 election was stolen and continues to point the finger at Biden and other Democrats for the legal battles that followed.
Absolutely — here’s a more concise and polished rewrite of the piece, preserving its key points and tone, while improving clarity and flow:
Trump Can’t Quit Biden — and He Doesn’t Want To
“The 2020 election was totally rigged,” Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One last month, casting Joe Biden as a usurper who “did such a bad job” in office.
Even in high-level diplomatic settings, Trump hasn’t let up. During a February Oval Office meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the conversation turned to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump quickly pivoted to blaming Biden — though, he added, “I hate to say that about somebody who sat here before me.”
But hate it or not, Trump leans in. He’s repeatedly branded Biden “pathetic,” “sad,” “incompetent,” “a disaster,” even “the worst president in history.” At one point, he mocked Biden’s awareness: “He didn’t know he was alive.”
His critiques haven’t been limited to policy. In February, Trump claimed he offered to fund a $100 million ballroom for the White House — something “beautiful” — but said the Biden administration never responded.
Michael Dubke, who served as communications director during Trump’s first term, compared it to 2017: “Everyone asked, ‘Why is he still talking about Hillary?’ The foil is central to Trump’s narrative: they broke it, I’ll fix it. Even now, the campaign is over — but the foil still matters.”
Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley sees something deeper: “In MAGA world, Biden was a false president. Trump’s pushing that idea hard to cement it in the history books.”
The numbers back it up. According to an NBC News analysis, Trump has brought up Biden, his family, or his administration more than 580 times since returning to office — an average of six times a day. By comparison, Biden mentioned Trump just 29 times in his first 100 days.
Trump has even taken shots during unrelated events. At a Tesla showcase on the White House lawn, he waved notes and joked, “I’m not Biden — I don’t need notes.” Then, climbing into a Model S, he asked reporters, “You think Biden could get in that car?”
His team has followed suit. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has mentioned Biden 78 times across 16 briefings — 37 times unprompted. Cabinet officials have echoed the tone. EPA chief Lee Zeldin blamed the “Biden EPA” for choking the economy, while U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer claimed Biden left behind a $1.2 trillion trade deficit. “There’s never been anything like what he left us,” Trump added. “His whole administration was a mess.”
Even conservative media plays a part. At a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Gateway Pundit reporter asked whether Modi preferred Trump over “Biden’s incompetence.” Trump laughed and replied, “I agree with you. Yeah, gross incompetence.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s team has tightened press access, reportedly sidelining outlets like the Associated Press for refusing to adopt Trump-favored terminology like “Gulf of America.”
During a late-night Air Force One press session, a Real America’s Voice reporter fawned over Trump’s energy: “How do you do it, Mr. President?” Trump replied, “Biden’s been sleeping for 10 hours already.”
Still, some inside the former administration find the obsession with Biden puzzling. “It’s bizarre,” said one former aide. “He can’t let go of 2020. He’s using Biden to distract from what he’s actually doing now.”
Sometimes, Trump’s claims are quickly contradicted. He criticized Biden for offering Ukraine aid via grant while saying Europe would get repaid — a point corrected by both Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
He’s also accused Biden of “weaponizing government,” despite signing an executive order this month stripping security clearance from Chris Krebs, a former DHS official who had denied the 2020 election was rigged.
Trump argues Biden’s weakness invited Russia’s war in Ukraine. “Putin didn’t want peace with Biden,” he said. “Now he wants peace.” Yet Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently signaled the U.S. may be preparing to “move on” from trying to broker a peace deal — a far cry from Trump’s campaign promise to end the war on day one.
As his 100th day in office nears, the window to blame Biden is narrowing. Trump’s volatile tariff policy has shaken financial markets and rattled retirement accounts. Consumer confidence is falling.
“The farther you get from your predecessor’s term, the harder it is to blame them for current conditions,” said GOP pollster Whit Ayres. “Especially with the economy. Trump’s trade war is now front and center.
