Biden pledged 'not to divide, but to unify' two years ago. He just called protesters 'idiots' during campaign speech for Democrats.



President Joe Biden after he was elected in 2020 pledged "not to divide, but to unify" and claimed he "doesn’t see red states and blue states" but "only sees the United States."

Yet during a speech Saturday in Joliet, Illinois, as he stumped for fellow Democrats on the midterm ballot this coming Tuesday, the ornery commander-in-chief couldn't help calling protesters outside the event "idiots."

What are the details?

The protesters carried signs that read "Socialism Sucks" and "Vote Pro-Life" and "Where's Nancy," the latter of which were words allegedly uttered by a man during his attack on Paul Pelosi late last month. Hours after the attack on the husband of Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Biden said the attacker's "where's Nancy" words were "used on January 6, the attack on the U.S. Capitol."

\u201cOutside a rally for Democrats with @POTUS in Joliet, Illinois:\u201d
— Akayla Gardner (@Akayla Gardner) 1667662890

Biden — who has repeatedly accused Republicans of plotting to put Social Security and Medicare "on the chopping block," Fox News reported — took direct aim at the protesters: "I love those signs when I came in. 'Socialism.'" It appeared he was about ready to add "sucks," but he stopped short.

"Give me a break," he continued. "What idiots."

The crowd laughed, applauded, and offered hoots and hollers in response.

"No one ever doubts I mean what I say," Biden added. "Sometimes unfortunately I say all that I mean."

One might wonder if his promise two years ago to unify America got deleted from his "I mean what I say" file.

More from Fox News:

Biden traveled to Illinois as part of a campaign swing through deep-blue parts of the country to shore up Democratic turnout ahead of Tuesday's election. The president has recently visited California and New Mexico, and will next travel to Pennsylvania this afternoon as polls show Republicans gaining strength in congressional districts Biden won decisively in 2020.

Election forecasters are increasingly favoring the GOP to retake the House of Representatives. The Cook Political Report this week moved seats in California's 9th, 47th and 26th Congressional Districts toward the Republican column, as well as Illinois' 6th and 14th Congressional Districts, and New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.

Fox News' Power Rankings project Republicans to win at least a 19-seat majority in the House and list four Senate races in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada as "toss-ups" that will determine control of that chamber.

'Who in the hell do they think they are?'

During his Joliet speech, Fox News reported that Biden also called out Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, saying they supposedly want to eliminate Medicare and Social Security. The cable outlet noted that fact-checkers have debunked that claim.

"Who in the hell do they think they are?" Biden growled during the speech, Fox News said. "I really mean it, think about it."

Republicans should be 'forced to shut the hell up' after 'right-wing raid' on Capitol, professor says in op-ed



A professor wrote in an op-ed that Republicans "should be forced to shut the hell up" about "being shocked by President Donald Trump or the recent right-wing raid in Washington, D.C., for your words ring hollow."

What are the details?

Ricky L. Jones of the University of Louisville's Pan-African Studies Department added a caveat to members of the GOP in his piece for the Courier-Journal: "You all should be forced to shut the hell up unless whatever you have to say begins with, 'I'm sorry.'"

"You should not be allowed to condemn Trump or attempt to distance yourselves from him unless you begin with, 'I have helped him, and I'm sorry,'" Jones noted. "You should not be allowed to cast aspersions on the people who stormed the Capitol building unless you begin with, 'I helped cause this, and I'm sorry.'

"You've known what we've all known about your lord and savior Donald Trump from the beginning, and you didn't care. You still loved him. You should admit it and apologize!" he added.

Jones said "you so-called conservatives" "loved him deeply, supported him unfailingly, demonized anybody who opposed him and rode shotgun with that maniac for the last four years. Don't stop now — KEEP RIDING!"

More from the op-ed:

Stop using Trump as your fall guy now that he's done. You ALL should apologize, because you all are guilty. You have behaved like closed-minded, mean-spirited, nativistic, bigoted opportunists and sycophants without conscience or confession openly and notoriously.

So-called conservative politicians (from the vice president to the Senate majority leader to state house representatives), businesspeople, public relations experts, television personalities, newspaper writers and everyday people — you are all guilty. You have either supported the insanity actively or stood by silently while it rose to a maddening crescendo. Trump isn't the disease, he's a symptom. You are the disease. You are the problem. He was just your hitman. He will leave office, but you and your nastiness will remain.

The accusations keep coming

Jones also said police weren't prepared "because they were white" and "took it easy" on rioters "because they were white." Referencing the rioting that plagued many American cities last summer, Jones wrote that Republicans "cried bloody murder when Black people and their allies stood up or took knees for justice and decency after they saw their kin killed in the streets by agents of the state all over the country. You called for blood when a few buildings were damaged or looted. Know this: Taking a few things from a Target store is nowhere near the same as targeting the nation's Capitol."

His conclusion?

You now want to blame Trump. You want to make it his fault, his responsibility, his legacy. No, it belongs to all of you! You have enabled him and the insurrectionists. You have made excuses and rationalizations every step along the way. You have condemned those who sought reason and humanity. You have painted those of us who fight against American racism as racists. You all are culpable. You all are guilty!

Now you say once again, "This is not who we are." Yes, it is. This is exactly who you are. And it is who you're going to be until you apologize and work on changing. Until you can sincerely do that — SHUT THE HELL UP!

(H/T: Campus Reform)