Staff Reports
Rep. Don Beyer, a Democrat from Virginia, recently found himself in a world of political whiplash after joining a group of House Democrats urging President Joe Biden to exit the presidential race. Beyer’s rebuke was clearly savage. While he didn’t outright call Biden too old for the job, he came pretty close, painting a picture of a president who’s more suited for a rocking chair than the Resolute Desk. The drama unfolded during a private call with House Democratic leadership over the weekend, and it didn’t take long for the fireworks to ignite.
The fact that Beyer was involved in these discussions was nothing short of shocking. Wasn’t this the same guy who hosted a fundraiser for Biden in Northern Virginia just last week? To add a bit of theatrics, Beyer even dared to compare Biden to Jesus Christ during that event. Talk about a plot twist in the political soap opera. According to reports, Beyer cited Jesus’ crucifixion as an example of human suffering and then pivoted to Biden, highlighting the president’s personal tragedies and painting him as a phoenix rising from the ashes of American politics.
Punchbowl News: 🚨FOUR more Senior House Democrats have asked Joe Biden to step aside
Rep. Jerry Nadler
Rep. Mark Takano
Rep. Don Beyer
Rep. Adam Smith— umichvoter 🏳️🌈 (@umichvoter) July 7, 2024
However, during that fateful call, Beyer seemed to have undergone a divine revelation of his own. Suddenly, Biden was “very, very fragile” and struggling to string together two coherent sentences. Beyer’s newfound admiration for Kamala Harris became blindingly apparent as he suggested that Biden step aside to let Harris run as the incumbent, asserting that it would strengthen her position for the November election. He also assured everyone he would tow the party line, strictly following whatever leadership decreed.
But as quickly as the criticisms were leaked, Beyer scrambled to backtrack with the ease of a seasoned politician. He proclaimed his unwavering support for President Biden and the Biden-Harris ticket, boasting about his pride in hosting Biden at that recent Virginia fundraiser. Could there be a more textbook example of political double-dealing? One minute, he’s metaphorically ushering Biden to his retirement home, and the next, he’s out there waving the Biden-Harris flag.
This sudden flip-flop didn’t escape the keen eyes of observers. Clarifications and denials flowed like water, and the reporters noted that his original remarks were far from supportive. His initial comments about Biden’s apparent physical and mental fragility weren’t exactly framed as constructive criticism.
Throw into the mix the potential involvement of Jill Biden, and you have a recipe for political melodrama. Did her calls prompt Beyer’s sudden reversal? As a key battleground state, Virginia requires absolute loyalty from its Democratic representatives. It is not exactly the best P.R. to have one of their own admit publicly that the Commander-in-Chief is closer to a cane than a campaign trail. Beyer’s sudden about-face suggests the machinations of a party that runs more like a cult. In the immortal words of Indiana Jones, maybe Beyer was forced to drink the “blood of Kali Ma”—or at least left with an unsettling taste of Democratic Kool-Aid.
