OPINION:
Joe Biden, former vice president and the Democratic Party’s pick for the White House this November, stumbled and bumbled into an awkward moment of truth on the campaign trail in Kenosha, saying he’d like to stick around and talk a while longer but — his words, perhaps in reference to the thuggish types walking the streets — “they’ll shoot me.”
Well, welcome to the world of Democratic leadership, Joe. Even Biden’s afraid of the left.
That’s just how innocent Americans have been feeling for months now, as their businesses and residences have been pelted by angry brick-throwing, vulgarity-spewing thugs masquerading as First Amendment peaceful protesters. And it’s all happened under the complicit watch of Democrats.
Biden went to race-torn, violent Wisconsin on a mission to heal.
He met with church leaders; he listened; he learned; he let them think he stood by their side on everything from police reform to economic inequalities between Whites and Blacks.
He also visited with family members of Jacob Blake, the Black man shot by police some weeks ago — the Black man who is reportedly paralyzed and whose police shooting sparked the latest batch of street protests-slash-uprisings. And he nodded, no doubt, in compassion as he listened to their words.
But it’s Biden’s remarks at Grace Lutheran Church that made the most media noise.
He said, in part, while explaining why his tax plan is better than President Donald Trump’s, according to a video from Fox News: “The tax cut … has done nothing to help anybody. Nineteen corporations making a billion dollars apiece don’t pay a single penny in taxes. I’m not going to punish anybody, but everybody should pay a fair share. Not going to lay out for every[one], I won’t now, because they’ll shoot me, but here’s the deal, I pay for every single thing I’m proposing without raising your taxes one penny …”
They’ll shoot me?
Politico raced to Biden’s defense, running a headline that said, “Biden jokes that Kenosha audience would ’shoot me’ if he didn’t wrap up his remarks.” The story went on to report that Biden said “he’ll shoot me,” as opposed to “they,” and that the gaffe-prone candidate was simply “allud[ing] to several people in the audience who appeared to stand up during his remarks or otherwise seemed antsy for the Democratic nominee to wrap up.”
Maybe.
Maybe that’s what Biden was referring to — “antsy” audience members.
But in the video, he clearly said “they’ll shoot me.”
And in the backdrop was violence in the Kenosha streets.
“Kenosha protesters arrested for breaking curfew,” CNN just reported.
“Kenosha Protests, Violence Expose Racial Disparities,” NPR just reported.
“Demonstrators Fear Volatile New Phase in Protests,” The New York Times just reported.
“Kenosha shooting victims Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum,” The Washington Times just reported.
“Kyle Rittenhouse shooting in Kenosha,” USA Today just reported.
And here comes Biden.
Here comes Biden with his “they’ll shoot me” quip.
It’s likely the most honest thing you’ll hear Biden say on the campaign trail. Sad part is: This is the reality innocent, law-abiding Americans have had to deal with for months now, due to Democrats’ failures of leadership.
Biden, whether intentional or not, touched on the very real fears plaguing average Americans in today’s leftist-fueled nation of violence. Biden, whether intentional or not, hat-tipped the very reason voters should vote for Trump, for law and order. Even Biden’s afraid of the Democrats’ leadership.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE.
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