Sen. Rick Scott called for President Biden to resign in a campaign ad launched just minutes after the Democrat’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, intensifying their ongoing feud.
The 30-second spot from the Florida Republican’s reelection campaign comes ahead of Mr. Biden’s visit to the Sunshine State on Thursday. It also came after Mr. Biden targeted Mr. Scott — without name-dropping him — in the State of the Union speech when he said some Republicans want to put Social Security on the chopping block.
“I’m Rick Scott. Biden should resign. I approve this message,” Mr. Scott says in the ad.
In a series of Twitter posts Wednesday, he doubled down on his claim that the president is “confused and should resign.”
Mr. Biden, invoking Mr. Scott’s proposed GOP agenda last year that called for sunsetting all federal legislation every five years, accused Republicans of wanting to slash entitlements.
“Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security sunset,” Mr. Biden said, prompting a chorus of “boos” from GOP lawmakers. “I’m not saying it’s the majority.”
While few have endorsed such an idea, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said cutting the popular programs is “off the table.” Still, Democrats have capitalized on the scare tactic.
Mr. Biden, however, made a similar proposal when he was a senator from Delaware. He mentioned Social Security and Medicare when calling to “freeze federal spending” including “every single solitary thing in the government.”
Mr. Biden’s critics have resurrected a video clip of those remarks.
Mr. Scott’s ad, reminiscent of one he released during a Florida visit by Mr. Biden in November, repeated a debunked claim of his own that Mr. Biden cut $280 billion from Medicare.
The figure is the projected savings for the federal government by allowing Medicare to negotiate with pharmacies over the costs of prescription drugs under the Democrats’ recent tax, climate and health care law known as the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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