The President of the United States, Joe Biden, is seeking re-election in 2024. At 81 years old, he faces an adverse scenario, with low popularity and seeing his main opponent, Donald Trump, well placed in the electoral polls.
He is the oldest person to be elected to a first term as president in the US, and if he runs for a second term, he will be the oldest person to do so as well. Thus, Biden is asked by Republicans whether he would be able to command another term.
Furthermore, opponents are articulating an impeachment process and trying to link it to investigations involving his son, Hunter Biden.
See President Joe Biden's controversies below.
Secret documents
Several confidential documents from the time Joe Biden was Vice President of the United States (2009 to 2017) were discovered in a private office in early 2023.
Additionally, the president's aides located documents with classified marks (secrecy) in two locations inside his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
Days later, he said he did not regret the way he had handled the files.
However, a day later, it was announced that six more confidential documents were discovered at the Wilmington residence. Some of the materials date back to Biden's tenure in the U.S. Senate, where he represented Delaware from 1973 to 2009, while others were from his tenure as vice president.
In October last year, Biden was voluntarily interviewed by special prosecutor Robert Hur in the investigation of the case.
Impeachment
The United States House approved the formalization of an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden in December 2023.
The House oversight panel, one of the committees leading the investigation, focused on Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings and sought to make connections with his father, Joe Biden.
Still, Republicans have not presented consistent evidence of Biden's possible illicit involvement. The president called the case an “unfounded political coup”.
Migration
One of the main points of debate in the 2024 election race is migration to the United States, with record numbers in 2023.
Republicans and Democrats, who historically disagree on a wide range of issues, criticize President Joe Biden's administration and call for reform of the country's immigration system.
Furthermore, according to research by CNN, Voters in key election states say they are more aligned with the Republican party on this issue.
Isn't that shit?
In 2014, Biden made a gaffe when speaking at Harvard University's Institute of Politics, when he was vice president in the Obama administration.
In this case, a student was going to ask a question and introduced himself as vice president of the student body. Then, Biden responded with a smile: “Isn’t that bullshit?”
“I mean… I’m sorry. The vice president thing,” she said, realizing what she had said.
Biden quickly followed up: “I’m kidding, I’m kidding, I’m kidding. The best decision I ever made. I’m kidding – that was a joke.”
The student then told the politician that he hopes he loves being vice president. “I love it, actually. I love the guy I work with,” Biden responded.
Xi Jinging “dictator”
After a rare meeting with President Xi Jinping in November 2023, Joe Biden stated that the Chinese leader is a dictator.
Questioned by correspondent MJ Lee, from CNN if the president would still describe Xi Jinping as a dictator, as he has in the past, Biden said, “Well, look, he is.”
“He is a dictator in the sense that he is a man who runs a country that is communist,” Biden said, adding that the Chinese government “is totally different from ours.”
The speech caused an immediate reaction from US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who attended the press conference. The top US diplomat was visibly uncomfortable.
After the gaffe, the American head of state highlighted that relations with China were unharmed.
Controversial oil project in Alaska
In March 2023, the Biden administration approved the massive oil drilling project in Alaska known as Willow, angering climate advocates.
The Willow Project is a decades-old oil drilling venture in the National Petroleum Reserve, which is owned by the federal government.
The area where the project is planned contains up to 600 million barrels of oil, although this product will take years to reach the market.
Volodymyr Zelensky or Vladimir Putin?
During a meeting with leaders at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in July 2023, Biden ended up calling the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, by “Vladimir”, the name of the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, a country with which the Ukrainians have been at war for two years.
The American president immediately corrected himself: “Mr. Zelensky and I talked about the kind of guarantees we could offer while I was in Ukraine and when we met elsewhere.”
Alongside Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leaders smiled after the gaffe.
Dogs in the White House
Joe Biden also faces an unusual problem during his term as President.
Their 2-year-old German Shepherd named Commander has been involved in several biting incidents at the White House.
Although the U.S. Secret Service has acknowledged 11 biting incidents involving its personnel, sources who spoke to the CNN they said the real number is higher. In addition, employees at the executive residence and other sectors of the White House were also victims.
These bites ranged in severity, from one that required hospital treatment to some that required attention from the White House Medical Unit.
Jackie, are you here?
Speaking at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in September 2022, Biden asked for Representative Jackie Walorski to attend. However, the Indiana Republican Party member died in a car accident in early August of that year.
“Jackie, are you here? Where is Jackie?” asked Biden.
The White House tried to get around the fact, saying that it was nothing more than Walorski being “remembered” by Biden.
“There will be a bill signed in her honor next Friday, so, of course, she was on his mind,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
This case raised new concerns within the electorate about the president's mental health.
LaGuardia Airport, New York
In 2014, while he was still vice president, Biden compared the then-chaotic LaGuardia airport in New York to a “Third World country.”
“If I blindfolded someone and took them at 2 o'clock in the morning to Hong Kong airport and said 'where do you think you are?' They would say, 'This must be America. This is a modern airport,'” Biden said.
“If I blindfolded them and took them to LaGuardia Airport in New York, he would say, 'I must be in some Third World country,'” he added.
At the time, then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called the analogy “inappropriate” and said Biden’s comments were “not his finest hour.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
