David Axelrod, a former Obama aide, and CNN senior political commentator, condemned former President Trump on Monday for mocking President Biden’s stutter at a campaign rally in Georgia over the weekend.
Axelrod took to X, formerly Twitter, to denounce Trump’s actions, calling them “pathetic and small,” reminiscent of “schoolyard bullies” rather than grown adults. He emphasized that such behavior does not demonstrate strength but rather highlights Trump’s lack of maturity.
Axelrod (Credits: Axios)
Before sharing his statement, Axelrod shared a post characterizing Trump’s remarks as a sign of weakness, both morally and otherwise. The post included a short clip of Trump mocking Biden’s stutter during his impression of the president.
In the clip, Trump imitated Biden struggling with his speech, implying that Biden’s stutter was a source of ridicule. While the transcript of Biden’s speech did not include the words Trump mocked, the insult sparked backlash online from Trump critics and disability advocates alike.
Axelrod (Credits: The Hill)
During the 2020 campaign, Biden spoke openly about his lifelong struggle with a stutter, which gained national attention following an Atlantic profile. Biden’s experience with stuttering has been a central focus of discussions surrounding his candidacy.
As Biden and Trump emerge as the presumptive nominees for their respective parties in the 2024 general election, polls indicate a close race between the two. According to Decision Desk HQ/The Hill’s national polling average in head-to-head matchups, Trump holds a 1.5 percentage point lead over Biden.
