President Donald Trump drew criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over Memorial Day weekend when he expressed confidence in North Korea leader Kim Jong Un while calling former Vice President Joe Biden a "low IQ individual."
On Tuesday, Trump sent a tweet that claimed he was defending the former VP and current 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
"North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me. I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me, & also smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, & worse. Perhaps that's sending me a signal?," Trump tweeted over the weekend.
North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me. I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me, & also smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, & worse. Perhaps that’s sending me a signal?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2019
Then on Tuesday, the president said he was making Kim's language "softer," saying Kim called Biden a "low IQ idiot" instead of individual.
"I was actually sticking up for Sleepy Joe Biden while on foreign soil. Kim Jong Un called him a 'low IQ idiot,' and many other things, whereas I related the quote of Chairman Kim as a much softer 'low IQ individual.' Who could possibly be upset with that?"
I was actually sticking up for Sleepy Joe Biden while on foreign soil. Kim Jong Un called him a “low IQ idiot,” and many other things, whereas I related the quote of Chairman Kim as a much softer “low IQ individual.” Who could possibly be upset with that?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2019
The president has used nicknames for Democrats since his 2016 campaign when he often referred to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as "crooked Hillary." Trump also commonly refers to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders as "crazy Bernie" and recently nicknamed South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, another 2020 Democratic candidate, "Alfred E. Newman." Trump also regularly refers to Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas," a reference to Warren's claim of Native American heritage.
Shortly after entering the 2020 presidential race, Warren apologized for her claim though that has not deterred Trump from using the nickname.
Biden, however, has also issued his own nickname to Trump, referring to the president as both a "clown" and an "s.o.b" at a campaign stop in South Carolina.
"There are so many nicknames that I'm inclined to give this guy. We could just start with clown. When he says these ridiculous things he says, I mean this, I put my hand up and say, 'everybody knows who you are' because they do know," Biden said.
"The only place [Trump] has any confidence is in the mud. The only thing he doesn't know how to respond to is issues and specifics," Biden added after a supporter asked him to insult Trump in turn, a request which the candidate declined at the time.
In response to Trump's initial tweet about Biden's IQ, Biden's deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield issued a statement saying, "The president's comments are beneath the dignity of the office. To be on foreign soil, on Memorial Day, and to side repeatedly with a murderous dictator against a fellow American and former Vice President speaks for itself."
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