Social media users praised President Joe Biden’s response to former President Donald Trump after they clashed over a clampdown on Chinese imports to support American industries. Building on tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, the White House announced a new wave of tariffs on a range of Chinese goods on May 14, HuffPost reported.
The goal of the tariffs is to increase the cost of some imports for American consumers, according to CNBC. A 25% tax will be imposed on Chinese solar panels, batteries, semiconductors, and permanent magnets that are imported into the United States. All Chinese electric cars will be subject to a 100% tariff. Earlier in the day, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, blasted the new policy before his latest court appearance for his hush-money case. “China’s eating our lunch,” Trump added, implying that he wants to go farther than Biden.
After he signed the order enacting the new tariffs, Biden was questioned by reporters about Trump’s “eating our lunch” remark. He responded by saying that Trump had been “feeding them a long time.” The president received overwhelming plaudits on social media, with many users enjoying his fresh, punchy approach.
“Savage Dark Brandon diss!” one user appreciated, while another agreed in a similar vein, saying, “Dark Brandon just knocked out The Press and Agent Orange in one punch!” Another user proclaimed, “Biden one ups DJT once again.” Another user explained why Trump was worse off in China policies, saying, “Trump’s China trade war screwed us royally. He & Ivanka enjoyed getting 34 Chinese trademarks shortly before he unsanctioned ZTE, partially owned by the Chinese government.
Trump helped his family WHILE helping President Xi. Biden’s trying to get us an edge.” A user hailed Biden’s tone, saying, “That’s friggin classic Dark Brandon. He’s correct—Trump got many of his products made there, bought windows and steel from them, bank loans, and somehow his daughter got trademarks from them, that most folks could never get.” Another user appreciated, saying, “This is a devastating and beautiful hit.” One user commented, “Quick-witted Dark Brandon comes in under the buzzer with a mic drop moment!”
A user appreciated the tone shift in Biden, saying, “The most combative Democratic nominee of my lifetime,” while another user asked for more of the same, saying, “We need more of this unapologetic President Biden.” Another user commented, “I wish I was 1/gazillionth as cool as Biden,” while another simply appreciated, saying, “We love Spicy Joe!”
Though it’s unclear exactly what Biden was alluding to with his “feeding them” comment, Trump has expressed some empathy with the Chinese government. Last year, Trump spoke to Fox News, describing Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “brilliant man.” “If you went all over Hollywood to look for somebody to play the role of President Xi, you couldn’t find it. There’s nobody like that. The look, the brain, the whole thing,” he said.
This exchange highlights the ongoing rivalry between Biden and Trump as they continue to clash over policy and leadership styles, with Biden’s sharp retort resonating strongly with his supporters.