(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Several White House staffers have come forward with stories about President Joe Biden’s quick and volatile temper, which reportedly resulted in employees avoiding one-on-one situations and meetings with the commander-in-chief.
According to Axios, the ice cream-loving, aviator-wearing façade that Biden puts on in public is simply a public-relations stunt and “the Biden temper” is a well-known phenomenon throughout the ranks of the administration.
“There’s no question that the Biden temper is for real,” said Chris Whipple, author of The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House. “It may not be as volcanic as Bill Clinton’s, but it’s definitely there.”
Insiders alleged that Biden’s anger simmers just under the surface and often manifests as sharp, unforgiving interrogations of staff members—often ending with questions that are impossible for them to answer.
Any staff member—from bright-eyed, bushy-tailed interns to senior officials—could be a target of his ire.
White House aides claimed that the yelling has become a rite of passage among the staff and if Biden didn’t yell at you, you had yet to earn his respect.
Axios takeouts:
– Joe Biden likes to humiliate aides with a game called "stump the chump" or "stump the dummy."
– His staff have Stockholm Syndrome: “Being yelled at by the president has become an internal initiation ceremony in this White House, aides say — if Biden doesn't… https://t.co/93QRIalmoL— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) July 10, 2023
Critics suggested that Axios was following a recurring media pattern by attempting to put a rosy spin on the Democrat president’s considerable character flaws.
Flashes of Biden’s angry disposition have made their way out into the public—including when he called Fox News’s Peter Doocy “a stupid son of a b***h” on a hot mic.
Several people who previously worked with the president made similar accusations against him. Author Jeff Connaughton mentioned Biden’s angry streak in his book The Payoff: Why Wall Street Wins, calling him an “egomaniacal autocrat… determined to manage his staff through fear.”
Mainstream news media outlets—including Axios—have attempted to spin the recent revelations of “Uncle Joe’s” temper as a sign of his youthfulness, passion and dedication to his work.
.@Axios really does try spinning this as positive: pic.twitter.com/z6iApSyNj9
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) July 10, 2023
Yet, increasingly, even left-wing outlets have begun to turn against him while facing the prospect of a resounding political defeat in next year’s presidential election.
Many also worry that Vice President Kamala Harris may be unfit to take over the role should Biden be incapacitated or forced out of office.
Harris herself has been accused of maintaining a toxic work environment and has endured frequent resignations from high-level staffers.
