The Republican National Committee (RNC) is receiving criticism for a tweet it sent to commemorate Presidents’ Day.
The RNC’s Twitter account on Monday shared a graphic of various presidents with the words, “Happy Presidents’ Day To Such Great U.S. Presidents.”
The presidents featured in the graphic were all Republicans, including Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden also appeared in the chart, depicted wearing a mask, with the words “not you” next to his face.
Happy Presidents’ Day! pic.twitter.com/8lanpKXO10
— GOP (@GOP) February 21, 2022
The RNC also sent out a tweet criticizing Biden over inflation.
#Bidenflation cost the average American household $3,500 last year.
— GOP (@GOP) February 21, 2022
Biden doesn’t care.
It comes as polls show that Biden’s approval rating is lower than any former president at this point in the presidency in modern history, except for Trump.
Former Republican commentator Bill Kristol wrote, “This is mostly juvenile and vulgar. But we are on the verge of war in Europe. It would be good if elected Republicans, GOP candidates, those who’ve served in Republican administrations–made it clear [the RNC] does not speak for what remains of a decent and patriotic Republican Party.”
This is mostly juvenile and vulgar. But we are on the verge of war in Europe. It would be good if elected Republicans, GOP candidates, those who've served in Republican administrations–made it clear @GOP does not speak for what remains of a decent and patriotic Republican Party. https://t.co/78YSTmEYdS
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) February 21, 2022
The graphic garnered some strong reactions on Twitter:
Putting Nixon and trump up there is a BOLD some might say hilarious move.
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) February 21, 2022
It says something that the GOP today chooses to celebrate Trump but not US Grant, the GOP president who led the fight against the Klan and created the Department of Justice. https://t.co/3SJl8i9UMj
— Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) February 21, 2022
Every day, the @GOP does or says something to make me feel really good about my decision two years ago to leave the Republican Party. Every single day. https://t.co/d0J5Rc2XLe
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) February 21, 2022
Uh, #PresidentsDay is for Washington and Lincoln. And it certainly isn’t for Coup Plotter Trump. https://t.co/QNzX4IvYPf
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) February 21, 2022
Kind of hilarious that they include Nixon, W, and Trump – all horrendous leaders – but not fellow Republican Teddy Roosevelt. https://t.co/ciIWSR0nuD
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) February 21, 2022
Two of those Republican presidents lost the popular vote. Two of them lost their re-election bids. Two of them set records for administration officials being indicted. Guess which one appears in all three categories? https://t.co/QCzaS88kJR
— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) February 21, 2022
Watergate, Iran-contra, Iran-contra, Iraq/Great Recession and, well, Trump. Quite the lineup. https://t.co/1AWS2SU4Sy
— Gary Legum (@GaryLegum) February 21, 2022
Trump was impeached twice while he was in office, setting a historical record. However, the Senate acquitted him on all charges.
Users also pointed out that Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal, and Reagan faced turmoil over the Iran-Contra Affair.
Meanwhile, absent from the graphic were other well-known Republican presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt and Ulysses S. Grant.
Also, absent from the list was the nation’s first president, George Washington, for whom the holiday was originally established to commemorate — however, it has since come to be seen as a holiday to celebrate every president.
