As President Joe Biden’s term limps to its conclusion, the man seems downright giddy to be passing the baton—or rather, tossing it like a hot potato. His post-election demeanor has been curiously lighthearted, especially for someone whose political party just got shellacked.
Case in point: the photo-op with President-elect Donald Trump at the White House. Biden, grinning from ear to ear, looked more like a retiree showing off his golf buddy than a man greeting his successor. But while Joe is happy to play nice with Trump, the frostiness between him and Vice President Kamala Harris could make an Arctic expedition feel tropical.
The latest chapter in this political soap opera unfolded at the Kennedy Center Honors, where Joe and Jill Biden didn’t just snub Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff—they practically acted like the pair didn’t exist. No handshake, no eye contact, no polite smiles. The Bidens took their seats like Harris and Emhoff were just part of the furniture. The social media reactions were swift, with many speculating that the Bidens are still stewing over Harris’s disastrous attempt to claim the presidency.
One observer quipped that the Bidens “must have voted for Trump,” while another pointed out the obvious: “Can you blame them? Best case, she convinced him she would win. Worst case, they ousted him so she could run.” Either way, it’s clear the Bidens don’t feel much like making small talk with the veep who couldn’t deliver.
Jill and Joe Biden are refusing to even look at Kamala Harris tonight 😬 pic.twitter.com/qL6jftoLsu
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 9, 2024
Adding insult to injury, Jill Biden seemed far more at ease chatting with Trump during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Trump, ever the showman, described her as “very nice” and claimed their conversation was “very nice.” That’s a lot of “nice” for a Democrat whose party spent years trying to frame Trump as public enemy number one. Jill Biden’s friendliness toward Trump and her frosty behavior toward Harris might suggest where her priorities lie these days—or maybe she’s just as over Harris as the rest of the Democratic Party seems to be.
I just want to find someone that looks at me the way Jill Biden looks at Trump pic.twitter.com/cjiER7dWsV
— drefanzor memes (@drefanzor) December 7, 2024
Let’s not forget how we got here. Joe Biden was supposed to be a one-term placeholder president, the safe choice to get Trump out of office. He did that, but then decided to overstay his welcome, running for a second term despite, well, being Joe Biden. His eventual withdrawal in July left Harris scrambling to run a campaign she clearly wasn’t prepared for, and Trump walked away with a victory. Now, Democrats are trapped in a circular firing squad, trying to pin the blame for Harris’s loss.
House Democrats are especially ticked off, with some like Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL) openly grumbling that Biden “took too long to get out,” leaving Harris little time to mount a meaningful campaign. Add in Biden’s controversial decision to pardon Hunter, despite repeated promises not to, and you’ve got a party in disarray. One anonymous House Democrat put it bluntly: “I am unplugging from Biden right now.” Translation: they’re done pretending.
As Biden heads off to Delaware in January, the gloves are clearly off. Whether it’s ignoring Harris in public or cozying up to Trump at international events, the Bidens are signaling that they’re over playing nice. And honestly? Who can blame them?
Harris fumbled the ball spectacularly, and the Democrats are paying the price. For Biden, the countdown to retirement must feel like sweet relief. For the rest of us, it’s just more evidence of a party that’s reaping exactly what it’s sown.
