President Joe Biden appears to be changing his tune about whether a House lawmaker is a “MAGA Republican.”
Last year, Biden started tossing out the phrase “MAGA Republican” or “Ultra MAGA” as a pejorative. In May 2022, he claimed, “This MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history.”
And since then “MAGA Republican” has essentially been used to describe any Republican who doesn’t do what he wants. It is pretty much the Left’s version of “woke” — which has also become an amorphous term to criticize progressive ideas.
But on Wednesday, the president sought to single out one House Republican as allegedly not being a “MAGA Republican.”
Speaking about Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Biden said, “Republican Congressman Mike Lawler is here as well.”
“Mike’s on the other team, but … [he’s] the kind of Republican I was used to dealing with,” he continued, adding, “He’s not one of these MAGA Republicans… I don’t want to get him in trouble by saying anything nice about him.”
Watch the video below:
President Biden praises Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), a top Democratic target in 2024 who represents the district Biden is visiting:
— The Recount (@therecount) May 10, 2023
“Mike’s on the other team, but … [he’s] the kind of Republican I was used to dealing with. He’s not one of these MAGA Republicans.” pic.twitter.com/BhNfRLnjH9
Just over a week ago, Biden implied something different.
On May 8, he tweeted from the @POTUS account, “Gutting education is the last thing this country needs. But MAGA House Republicans voted on a bill that could cut up to 60,000 teaching jobs – affecting more than 25 million kids.”
The post included a graphic with a red background and text that stated, “217 House Republicans voted to cut education funding.” It also displayed a picture of Republicans who voted for the legislation — including Lawler.
Gutting education is the last thing this country needs.
— President Biden Archived (@POTUS46Archive) May 3, 2023
But MAGA House Republicans voted on a bill that could cut up to 60,000 teaching jobs – affecting more than 25 million kids. pic.twitter.com/fpa7m6Of8c
The tweet refers to House Republicans’ 217-215 vote to pass a bill that would raise the debt ceiling, the limit of how much the U.S. can borrow to pay its bills, while cutting $4.5 trillion in spending.
The New York Times explains if the U.S. does not raise the debt ceiling and “if the government exhausts its extraordinary measures and runs out of cash, it would be unable to issue new debt.”
“That means it would not have enough money to pay its bills, including interest and other payments it owes to bondholders, military salaries and benefits to retirees,” it added.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in May the U.S. could default as soon as June 1 if the debt limit is not raised.
Biden wants Congress to pass a bill to raise the debt ceiling without any conditions. However, Republicans want spending cuts to go along with raising the limit.
The president’s tweet about the House Republicans’ bill did not explicitly say Lawler is a “MAGA Republican.” Yet mentioning the vote tally while saying “MAGA Republicans” voted for it conveys that message.
Biden has suggested that accepting a debt ceiling deal with spending cuts would reward Republicans for “holding the economy hostage.” Though the idea of trying to reign in spending while ensuring the U.S. pays its bills on time does not seem too radical.
If the concern is that time is limited, there really is not a good excuse for brushing up against this deadline. The White House and Congress have had months to negotiate a deal. But the president and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) went three months without meeting.
Naturally, Republicans are concerned if they do not use this impending deadline to get spending cuts and just increase the debt limit, the conversation about the budget might never take place.
Yet Biden appears unwilling to budge on his call for a bill that would only raise the debt limit. And in an apparent attempt to win the public’s support for his position, he is trying to push the idea that the House Republicans’ bill is extreme and dangerous by saying “MAGA Republicans” — including Lawler — voted for it.
But if he is now saying Lawler is not a “MAGA Republican,” does that mean the Republicans’ bill is not really that bad? Or does he just have no clue Lawler voted for it? Or did he forget?
