The White House has just issued a surprisingly stinging response to former Vice President Joe Biden’s proposed nickname, given by his anti-Israel critics. The nickname, which he received while running for president in 2020, was “Bibi Biden.” The reference to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earned the ire of the Trump Administration and has been called “inappropriate” by the White House.
In a statement released by the White House today, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany condemned the nickname and stated that “using the name of a foreign head of state to attack a political opponent is wrong and inappropriate.” She went on to say that “it is especially egregious when the politician in question is a former Vice President of the United States.”
McEnany went on to condemn the idea that Biden was somehow sympathetic to Prime Minister Netanyahu or the policies of the Israeli government by allowing the nickname to stand. She stated that Biden has “repeatedly condemned Netanyahu’s policies on the treatment of Palestinians and expressed his support for a two-state solution in the Middle East.”
This is not the first time that the Trump Administration has taken issue with Biden’s foreign policy views. In the recent Republican National Convention, President Trump insisted that Biden would be weak on foreign affairs policy and would give in too easily to international pressures. However, the White House’s response today signals an even stronger stance on the issue.
The Biden campaign has responded to the criticism from the White House, stating that the nickname was never intended to harm the image of Prime Minister Netanyahu or Israel. Biden spokesman Andrew Bates has asserted that Biden’s “unwavering allegiance and respect for Israel, and his recognition of its incredibly special place in the world” are clear in his record.
Ultimately, what we have here is a clash between the Trump Administration’s outgoing foreign policy stance and the incoming Biden Administration’s approach. While the White House’s response shows that it is willing to take a strong stand against what it perceives as inappropriate, it remains to be seen whether or not the Biden campaign will counter with equally acerbic conversations.