In the midst of former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, President Joe Biden’s reelection team seized the opportunity to inject some humor into the political discourse by dubbing Trump ‘Sleepy Don.’ This playful moniker comes in stark contrast to Trump’s own previous jabs at Biden, whom he famously called ‘Sleepy Joe’, according to Mediaite.
The Biden campaign released a scathing memo last Friday, humorously titled “Verdict’s In Sleepy Don Has a Nightmare Week,” which not only poked fun at Trump’s courtroom naps but also critiqued the policies and practices of his inner circle, whom the memo labeled ‘small-time thugs.’
The memo leveraged a New York Times summary of the week’s contrasting images: a vigorous Biden campaigning across key battleground states while Trump seemingly struggled to stay awake in a New York courtroom. This depiction was used to underscore the differences in engagement and energy between the two political figures.
“Their words. Not ours,” the memo quipped, distancing itself while pointing out the source of the critique. The details within the memo were meticulously laid out, painting a picture of a week where Trump was notably absent from the campaign trail, yet his troubles magnified. “Trump was off the trial trail but his problems remained very much on them. Again, it wasn’t campaigning. Got some shut-eye.
Continued to lag behind his own fundraising numbers from 2020. Began trying to charge down-ballot candidates for using his ‘name, image, and likeness’ in fundraising. Sold out the American people to Big Oil and Gas barons as he railed against wind energy,” the memo stated, outlining a series of missteps and controversies.
Furthermore, the Biden team highlighted the political repercussions Trump faced, particularly in Arizona where his endorsement of state abortion bans was reportedly backfiring. The failure of MAGA Republicans to repeal an outdated 1864 abortion ban exacerbated the situation, demonstrating a boomerang effect on Trump’s influence and strategy.
James Singer, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, encapsulated the week’s events, emphasizing the self-destructive nature of Trump’s campaign. “The verdict is in, Donald Trump and his campaign’s self-inflicted wounds are not paying off. Their strategy of not campaigning, wasting money, acting like small-time thugs, and pushing their extreme agenda is driving away voters,” Singer stated.
He continued to contrast this with Biden’s campaign vision, “At the Biden campaign, our eyes are wide awake: Voters want an economy that works for them– not billionaires, their rights protected instead of ripped away, and a president focused on solving their problems instead of being consumed by their own.”
As per a Forbes report, Trump’s tendency to nod off was not limited to one instance but was observed multiple times during the trial, including during jury selection. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times also noted a particularly telling moment on the first day of the trial when she observed Trump, “his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest.”
This narrative of fatigue contrasted sharply with the energetic campaign trail presence of Biden, as highlighted by his team in an effort to underscore the readiness and resilience of their candidate compared to his main political rival.
