Biden dons MAGA hat after Trump said at debate that president ‘hates’ Kamala Harris
The situation prompted several comments and numerous reactions on social media. The White House went ahead to clarify that the president was simply encouraging unity.
Joe Biden featured in one of the images of the week when he was photographed wearing a MAGA cap that read "TRUMP 2024" just a day after Donald Trump said during the debate that the president "hates" Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a moment that drew thousands of comments and reactions on X, Biden graciously agreed to a Trump voter's request: to try on a MAGA hat during a visit to Shanksville, Pa., after a 9/11 memorial service.
NEW: Full exchange of the incident leading up to Joe Biden putting on a Trump 2024 hat.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 12, 2024
Biden: "Sure, I'll autograph [a hat]."
Man: "You remember your name?"
Biden: "I don't remember my name... I'm slow."
Man: "You're an old fart."
Biden: "Yeah, I'm an old guy... You would… pic.twitter.com/yQcCXmtzIZ
The president had a brief exchange with a Trump voter he was going to sign the cap for. When he asked for it, the man joked, telling the president, "You remember your name?"
Biden replied with a facetious comment: "I don't remember my name ... I'm slow."
Then the audience and the man urged Biden to put on his cap. The president complied, joked with those in attendance and then received a standing ovation.
"I’m proud of you now, you old fart!" the cap's owner told Biden.
Trump supporters on X seized the moment to satirize the image of Biden donning the cap, sarcastically claiming that the Democratic president endorsed his one-time chief political rival.
The X Trump War Room account was quick to share the image, writing "Thanks for the support, Joe!"
"This is by far the greatest moment of Joe Biden's 51-year career," conservative viral account End Wokeness posted.
"Maybe Trump was on to something last night when he said Joe really hates Kamala?" joked Cuban-American filmmaker Robby Starbuck, who posted the video of the encounter.
However, White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates was quick to clarify that the event occurred during Biden's visit to the Shanksville fire station and that it was the president's intention to stoke the spirit of unity seen earlier in the day when Trump, Vance, Harris and Biden himself appeared at a 9/11 memorial service.
"As a gesture, he gave a hat to a Trump supporter who then said that in the same spirit, POTUS should put on his Trump cap. He briefly wore it," Bates said.
But the fact remains curious, especially after Trump said during the debate that Biden hates Harris because he hung onto the Democratic nomination after party leaders pressured him to drop out of the race following the lousy debate in Atlanta and a weak showing in the polls.
"I'll give you a little secret: He hates her," Trump said during the debate. "He can't stand her, but he got 14 million votes. They threw him out. She got zero votes."
Trump says Biden "hates" Harris.
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 11, 2024
READ: https://t.co/aCBWdDMEQ1#Debate #DonaldTrump #KamalaHarris #Election2024 pic.twitter.com/edEKxdEcxC