People Break Down The Differences Between Biden's First Year In Office And Trump's
At the start of Donald Trump's presidency, protests raged in response to a ban he ordered via executive order to seven Muslim-majority countries. At the start of Joe Biden's presidency, the nation was still reeling from the Capitol riot, which had happened just two weeks prior.
The country is currently in a remarkably divided time and political bonds have frayed further, charged with anger.
But the real question here is how did these two men do?
Opinions varied, which made us more excited to read them after Redditor HannibalGoddamnIt asked the online community:
"Dear Americans of Reddit, how do you find this first year of Biden's presidency compared to Trump's?"
"Instead of taxing the rich..."
"Well, there is pretty much one thing that's continuing to make me mad. It's that Biden lowered the threshold from $20,000 to $600 to get a 1099-K form."
"Instead of taxing the rich, they want to go after the gig economy (like door dash, or Uber) or small time eBay sellers to nickel and dime them to death. Most people using these platforms are doing so as a side gig to make enough money to support their families. So let's go after those people and not the billionaires, right Biden?"
ColtsFanNY
To which this person replied:
"Guess it's good for my local card shop. Before the change I could sell for 80-90% of market value through various platforms. After fees I'd come out ahead of my local stores trade in value."
"Now, taxes plus fees means I barely make more, and dealing with shipping and customer problems just isn't worth the hassle. Now I just trade in for straight cash."
Weasel_Boy
"During the first year..."
"During the first year of Trump’s administration the majority of news headlines were about Trump."
"During the first year of Biden’s administration the majority of news headlines were about Trump."
st11es
To which this person replied:
"It’s actually kind of scary because Biden has done some things that need to be brought up but it’s like a radio silence around him. Unless it’s about his pets."
Legeto
"At least 90% of people..."
"At least 90% of people couldn't even tell you 5 things that the president has done since taking office, let alone give a good opinion on a president's performance. For some reason everyone cares a lot about the election process, and then completely ignores what the elected president does beyond that point."
HellizBlazer
To which this person replied:
"To be fair, that’s partly the point of a republic: vote some people in to deal with these problems since we don’t have the time and most aren’t qualified/educated enough on every world problem."
"Still, people should actually learn what a president does and pay attention to what they do, not just what happens to occur while they are president; although, it’s probably more important to focus on congress members that represent you."
selfproclaimedtot
"He expanded..."
"He expanded Bears Ears National Monument and so that’s a plus. Besides that, not much to say."
jebhebmeb
To which this person replied:
"He's also gotten a ton of judges confirmed. When it comes time to evaluate all the racial gerrymandering bills from red states, that's gonna matter."
gsfgh
"The minimum wage..."
"The minimum wage was supposed to go up. Still waiting."
The_Sad_Whore
To which this person replied:
"Plus he promised to eliminate $10K in student debt immediately and then just…. Didn’t. With no explanation."
OOOOOOO
"Meanwhile..."
"Trumps first year was breaking news nearly every day about how awful and evil the man was and how he was destroying our democracy. I bought into it all. Looking back, policy-wise, his first year was pretty basic and may have been good for our country. Optics wise, his presidency was a dumpster fire."
"Meanwhile, Biden’s first year has been the opposite. His policies are terrible. The country seems to actually be worse off than it was when trump left (this of course could be trumps fault to some extent, although Biden did campaign on how the buck stops with him). Meanwhile he gets handled with kid gloves by the media, for the most part."
IAmANobodyMA
To which this person replied:
"The Biden administration is quickly becoming a disaster. It's as if they are intentionally trying to make things worse. They are not held accountable by the majority of the news media - the same news media who knowingly lied about the Trump administration. A lot of folks are turning on the Democratic party, so the midterms should be interesting."
dee_berg
"He's managed..."
"He managed to make it a whole year without committing obstruction of justice, so that's a positive."
grombleduke
To which this person replied:
"The bar is so low."
sacrificialfck
"I feel like..."
"Is one year really long enough to see any true outcomes of changes though?"
"I feel like, if we think about it, a lot of changes that are put in place during a president’s time in office take years to make some kind of difference and then the current president gets blamed for consequences of some previous leader’s actions/decisions."
courtenax
To which this person replied:
"Is 4 years even enough either? How much can an administration even get done in that time? The other world leaders just laugh and wait it out for the next president."
BarrettBuilt
"The cost..."
"The cost of living part hit us all really hard. People who I knew were well off got slammed hard. Everyone is really struggling now. Meat prices are awful and so is gas. Groceries are looking the same as my truck payment now."
CuriousWrangler
To which this person replied:
"Where I live gas has gone from a 4 year low of $1.12/gal to a current $3.10/gal. Supply didn't shrink, so I can only assume lockdowns affected refining and distribution."
Wundei
"I just wanted..."
"I just wanted a return to the normal problems of government, not having to worry so much about itchy trigger fingers, massive grifting/corruption, gross incompetence, and boorish performances."
"So I guess I got what I wanted. Do I wish Biden were better? Yeah, of course. But given the state of politics in Congress, I didn't expect much."
thenextvinnie
To which this person replied:
"So good that I can go back to ignoring the White House."
Singlewomanspot
And there you have it. Many of the discussions were conducted in good spirits.
Sure, a few disagreed and some were perhaps harsher than others.
That said, there is no denying that much needs to change in the United States before it can be whole again.
Have some thoughts of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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Donald Trump Claimed He's a 'Young, Vibrant Man' Compared to Joe Biden, and Biden Just Had a Good Laugh at That One
President Donald Trump went after Joe Biden again, because politics in the United States is very much like high school bullying and nothing makes sense anymore.
Asked by reporters on the White House lawn whether Biden, who is 76, is too old to run against him in 2020, Trump, who turns 73 in June, scoffed:
"I feel like a young man. I'm so young. I am a young, vibrant man. I look at Joe, I don't know about him. I would never say anyone is too old."
President Donald Trump said he's a "young, vibrant man" compared to Joe Biden. https://t.co/8GKunSAMIC https://t.co/iOJL4la7ci— USA TODAY Video (@USA TODAY Video) 1556298967.0
Shortly afterward, Biden, who stopped by the set of The View, had a good laugh at Trump's remarks, encouraging voters to judge him based on his performance as a candidate:
"If he looks young and vibrant compared to me, I should probably go home. Everybody knows who Donald Trump is, and the best way to judge me is to watch. See if I have the energy and the capacity."
When asked if he lives up to Trump's nickname for him as "Sleepy Joe," Biden said that was "the first time" he'd ever been "referenced" that way:
"It's usually the other end, 'Hyper Joe.' And I think, in terms of the future, I think that what I've done in foreign policy, what I've done in foreign policy... Look, one of the reasons why I want to be president... is that there's so much out there. Think of what this next generation is going to have an opportunity to see."
"We're going to do everything from make fundamental change in curing cancer, in Alzheimer's, in diseases. Your kids are going to be flying across America in less than an hour and a half... more is going to change in the next 10 years than has happened in the last 30 or 40 years."
Responding to Pres. Trump's sarcastic welcome to the race, Joe Biden tells @TheView he's never been called "Sleepy… https://t.co/BIUClvx2UR— ABC News (@ABC News) 1556293287.0
Does this mean Biden considers the president a dinosaur in comparison to him?
It wouldn't surprise us, and people are certainly more onboard with his assessment.
Trump is being dragged considerably.
@ABC @TheView Joe Biden will be more of a respectful President than Trump will ever be.— Marcia Reid Richard (@Marcia Reid Richard) 1556310076.0
Friends, I must inform you that, contrary to his claims, the president is not a young man. https://t.co/BA4ox6Q8Ek— Philip Bump (@Philip Bump) 1556297309.0
@thedailybeast Young and vibrant? This alone is proof he cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy. He is old,… https://t.co/UJYv0vw3FB— Carole Raphaelle Davis (@Carole Raphaelle Davis) 1556299726.0
@thedailybeast I am a young, vibrant man who is lacking in governmental experience, abrasive and unschooled in dipl… https://t.co/30YJmnFyet— Mongrosio (@Mongrosio) 1556300429.0
@CBSNews "I am the youngest person" mentally/emotionally he's around 7 so I guess we can agree— MiTcH (@MiTcH) 1556287205.0
@CBSNews Says the guy that sits around watching tv all day, occasionally gets up to go out and make a sound bite(tr… https://t.co/6c4HQRpQtq— Alan Jansen (@Alan Jansen) 1556307128.0
According to the April 25-26 Hill-HarrisX survey of 1,000 registered voters, 43 percent say they would choose Biden over Trump in an election match up.
Biden's 6-point lead was outside the poll's 3.1 percent sampling margin of error, and he has consistently polled above the President, performing the most successfully among voters ages 35 to 49 while polling higher than Trump among respondents between the ages of 18 and 34.
Kamala Harris's Succinct Response To A Student's Question About Gun Safety Has The Internet Applauding
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris took aim at our "supposed" leaders in Washington for their failed attempts at legislating gun control during a CNN Town Hall on Monday.
If she were to become elected in 2020, the California senator promised to sign executive orders on gun control and will give Congress "100 days to get their act together."
The topic came up when fielding questions from her constituents after the 20th anniversary of the Columbine massacre, which took place on April 20, 1999.
When asked how as president of the U.S., she would keep schools safe, and how she would keep guns out of the hands from those who shouldn't have them, she gave an impassioned response.
She detailed the drills that are currently taking place in schools in order for students to protect themselves from a mass shooter roaming the halls, and said, "In our America, that should never have to happen."
"Conversations take place every night between students and their parents," she said, about kids asking their parents why they must participate in these drills.
"There are people in Washington, D.C., supposed leaders, who have failed to have the courage to reject a false choice which says you're either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone's guns away."
Dear politicians: THIS is how you answer a question about gun safety. https://t.co/WkL9sFtSbM— Shannon Watts (@Shannon Watts) 1556020398.0
Harris, who has said she owns a gun for protection, often generates the most applause on the campaign trail for her stance on gun reform.
She added:
"Upon being elected, I will give the United States Congress 100 days to get their act together and have the courage to pass reasonable gun safety laws. And if they fail to do it, then I will take executive action."
Her executive action would include required background checks on "anyone who sells more than five guns a year," and she would have the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms) remove a gun dealer's license if they are in violation of that mandate.
She commented that the ATF has been doing "a lot of the A and the T but not much of the F, and we need to fix that."
@shannonrwatts Love that line about the A and the T but not the F!— Occam's Razorback (@Occam's Razorback) 1556027960.0
Massachussett's senator and running mate Elizabeth Warren also called for universal background checks and to "take weapons of war off our city streets," when asked what she would do to protect police officers from being killed in the line of duty.
Both Democratic candidates are closing the gap in the race.
@shannonrwatts Either @ewarren or @KamalaHarris for the nomination. Then, the winner takes the other as a running mate. Both are leaders.— Scarlett Burroughs (@Scarlett Burroughs) 1556021254.0
@shannonrwatts Amazing. This is exactly what I want. You can have your guns but you're gonna follow rules and laws.… https://t.co/IHTvxFSig3— NoVa Caps Fan (@NoVa Caps Fan) 1556020669.0
Harris scored points for her response with solutions to back up her proposal.
@shannonrwatts Refreshing to have a politician actually answer a question....for a change— Tyco Mighty (@Tyco Mighty) 1556037005.0
@shannonrwatts Right??? Git it @SenKamalaHarris! By contrast, Bernie “pivoted” yugely when he had a chance to tackl… https://t.co/muM8yqB9hz— End Gun Violence (@End Gun Violence) 1556034436.0
@shannonrwatts @wyllia_coyote And that’s why I love her!— Kara Johnson (@Kara Johnson) 1556029196.0
@shannonrwatts @KamalaHarris Last night was my first time really listening to her speak. I was impressed.— Annette Cowell (@Annette Cowell) 1556029076.0
@shannonrwatts @KamalaHarris had my full supporr from the moment she grilled ex ag sessions. Each communication si… https://t.co/9X3239YuPa— ba girl (@ba girl) 1556023935.0
Progressive Democrats continue to back Harris's position on guns.
In 2014 as attorney general of California, Harris deemed the state's 10-day waiting period for gun purchases as unconstitutional. Two years later, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with her stance.
She also called to renew the assault weapons ban in 2016 after seeing babies and police officers killed.
"I have friends that love to hunt — but if you need an assault weapon to go hunting, you need to go back to hunting school. It's just not reasonable."
New Poll Reveals Growing Majority Of Americans Are Now On Board With A Gay Presidential Candidate
A majority of Americans are in favor of a gay presidential candidate, according to a poll by NBC and the Wall Street Journal.
The poll published in March showed that 68% of Americans do not have issues with a president who identifies as gay or lesbian – with 14% saying they are enthusiastic and 54% saying they are comfortable.
South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, pronounced Boot-edge-edge, is quickly becoming a serious Democratic contender for the 2020 presidential election after his campaign raised $7 million.
The 37-year-old mayor is openly gay and has been married to husband Chasten since last June. Buttigieg's sexuality is not having any negative effects as we head towards 2020 and his popularity begins to surge.
NBC News claims that the favorable numbers are irrelevant to an increasing tolerance for the LGBTQ community among younger voters.
"The share of those under 35 who say they're enthusiastic or comfortable with a gay candidate increased by 28 percentage points between 2006 and now, jumping from 47 percent to 75 percent now."
According to the poll, 58% of those over the age of 65 are either comfortable or enthusiastic about having a gay president, and 75% of those under 35 said they would be comfortable or enthusiastic over a gay president.
As @PeteButtigieg presidential bid makes huge gains, poll shows most Americans are okay with a gay president… https://t.co/waWE28V20L— lgbtchi (@lgbtchi) 1554171735
Twitter is on board with Buttigieg for president.
@TheAdvocateMag I’m in.— k.d. lang (@k.d. lang) 1554313064
@TheAdvocateMag Right man at the right time.— Steve Williams (@Steve Williams) 1554311712
@stonecold2050 Forget his gayness as if that makes the man. Buttigieg is smart, positive, sincere, experienced in g… https://t.co/WcDr91C9Xg— Janet Fisher (@Janet Fisher) 1554157502
@stonecold2050 enthusiastic about AND comfortable with 🤓— Staceyjoy Elkin (@Staceyjoy Elkin) 1554158276
Critics are less concerned about his sexual identity but view the candidate's lack of statewide or federal elected experience as more of a liability.
Overall, concerns about @PeteButtigieg being gay affecting his electability are overblown. The kind of people who w… https://t.co/4LUGVYzke9— Robert Lyons 👨🌾 (@Robert Lyons 👨🌾) 1554159170
@stonecold2050 I don't care what consenting adults do with their sexual preferences. I do care about America, our d… https://t.co/g9UZJ6TBeT— Gia2bella@Gia2Bella (@Gia2bella@Gia2Bella) 1554157451
That said, Buttigieg polled ahead of Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and tied in fifth place with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for fifth place nationally, according to a March Quinnipiac poll.
@stonecold2050 As long as he/she can do the job intelligently, effectively and without corruption doesn't bother m… https://t.co/9VBb8ss4Y6— Lanna (@Lanna) 1554155077
The Democratic candidate supports universal healthcare, labor unions, universal background checks for all firearms transactions, and the Equality Act – which aims to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that discriminates against the LGBTQ community in employment, housing, public education, and federal funding.
In 2015, he came out in the column of the South Bend Tribune, in which he explained why "coming out matters."
"Today it remains legal in most parts of Indiana (though not South Bend) to fire someone simply for being gay, and bullying still contributes to tragically high suicide rates among LGBT teens."
@allinwithchris @PeteButtigieg I really, really like this guy. I was impressed by his clarity of thought. He knew… https://t.co/FN8s9EG4nl— Laura L (@Laura L) 1548295848
He continued:
"Putting something this personal on the pages of a newspaper does not come easy. We Midwesterners are instinctively private to begin with, and I'm not used to viewing this as anyone else's business."
"But it's clear to me that at a moment like this, being more open about it could do some good. For a local student struggling with her sexuality, it might be helpful for an openly gay mayor to send the message that her community will always have a place for her."
"And for a conservative resident from a different generation, whose unease with social change is partly rooted in the impression that he doesn't know anyone gay, perhaps a familiar face can be a reminder that we're all in this together as a community."
In addition to positive social media coverage upping his profile, Jennifer Victor, a political scientist at George Mason University, told Vox that Buttigieg already has a lot going for him.
"He's got the swoon factor, the young factor, the honest-to-the-point-of-vulnerable factor, and he's great on the stump."
"By standard measures, he shouldn't be doing that well, but I think American presidential primary politics are well beyond standard measures."
If elected, Buttigieg will not only become the youngest president of the United States, he will also be the first openly gay president.