‘The former guy’ versus ‘Sleepy Joe’ – why Biden and Trump are loath to utter each other’s name

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Mixed Factuality

Independent: John K. Byrne

Independent: Michael Rogers (Publisher)

‘The former guy’ versus ‘Sleepy Joe’ – why Biden and Trump are loath to utter each other’s name

During his 2024 State of the Union Address, President Joe Biden mentioned his presumptive challenger, Donald Trump, 15 times – but never once by name. Instead, Biden referred to him as “my predecessor” 13 times. He also called him a “former Republican president” and a “former American president.” These weren’t mistakes or memory lapses – the circumlocutions appeared in the president’s prepared remarks provided by the White House. Instead, Biden…