Joe Biden Makes Cheeky and Creepy Comment to Hollywood Star – It shouldn’t surprise us.
When Joe Biden makes a joke, half the country laughs, and the other half gets mad.
Such was the case when the president invited actress Eva Longoria for a visit to the White House June 15.
Biden did what one doesn’t normally do in polite company – make a remark about someone’s age.
It wasn’t an egregious comment about Longoria, but it made conservatives agitated because of a supposed double standard exhibited by the legacy media.
If Trump would have made the same joke, he would have been pilloried for being sexist, this thinking goes.
Joe Biden: What Happened Now?
It all started when Longoria, 48, visited the president to promote her latest film called “Flamin’ Hot.”
This was the first movie that the actress has directed, and she understandably felt proud to be in the president’s company. Then Biden made an attempt at humor. The president said about Longoria: “We’ve known each other a long time. She was 17, I was 40.” Actually, the president was off by about a decade. The real age difference would have been 40 to seven-years-old. That is a tad icky when you think about it.
Just Leave Age Out Of It
You know what they say, never discuss a woman’s age in public, especially when she is standing right by the podium. But the president “went there” anyway. It also raised the question about the age difference between them – that Biden at 40 would have been old enough to be Longoria’s father or at least an uncle.
Is the President Creepy?
The audience gave the joke a chuckle, but conservatives and other social media critics cried foul. Many said the president was acting “creepy” when he noted the age difference between them.
“He always comes across as a creepy old man,” said one Twitter commentator when referencing the president.
Conservative brothers known as the Hodge Twins said that if Trump would have made the same wisecrack he would have been “accused of rape.”
Others disagreed that Biden was being offensive and congratulated the Desperate Housewives star for her directorial debut.
The White House Became a Comedy Club
There were other amusing quips at the event. Joe Biden dusted off his old joke about being the “husband of Jill Biden” intimating that his wife wears the pants in the family. One attendee said to the president, “I love you!” Biden replied, “I accept!”
Longoria is a life-long Democrat and happens to be Hispanic-American. She is also co-founder of an organization called Latino Victory Fund that helps elect Hispanics to office. She didn’t seem to take offense at Biden’s playfulness and was likely thrilled to be in his presence at the White House.
While comment was a creepy, Biden has indeed said worse during his presidency. He did not stumble over his words or trip over a sandbag during this event and it appears the crowd had a good time. It does show that the president gets away with questionable comments to the chagrin of conservatives. I do agree that if Donald Trump would have said something similar there would have been more outcry, especially since Trump has literally been accused of rape.
Biden’s handlers have long ago adjusted to their boss’ penchant for saying and doing ridiculous and cringy things. At this point in his presidency, they are likely saying “let Biden be Biden.” But he is in no condition at 80-years-old to joke about age since it is a serious campaign issue. Many believe his advanced age is a problem and the sweet and kind “Uncle Joe” persona is a smokescreen.
So, note to the White House, humor can be harmless during frivolous events, but it is better to leave a woman’s age out of the joke selection. The president could be asking for trouble should he transgress again.
Author Expertise and Experience
Serving as 19FortyFive’s Defense and National Security Editor, Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.
