During an interview posted Wednesday, Vanity Fair contributor Peter Hamby told presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden that the internet mocks him with memes of “Sleepy Joe,” a nickname coined by President Donald Trump, and “Dementia Joe,” a rip on the 77-year-old Democrat’s apparent mental decline.
“Harvard did an analysis of all of the anti-Biden memes out there on the internet,” said Hamby, according to Vanity Fair. “According to them, the top three slogans they’re seeing, this is from the left and the right, are Dementia Joe, Sleepy Joe, Creepy Joe.”
“Barack Obama reportedly said last week that his daughters had been showing him anti-Biden TikToks,” he continued. “Basically, there’s an entire discourse on the internet right now that’s painting you as creepy and old and out of touch and kind of lame.”
“How do you fight back against that?”
Giving off a laugh, Biden hit Trump for negatively branding him and suggested “the vast majority of the voters out there, including young people, are not getting all their news from the internet.”
“I can hardly wait to get onto the stage with Donald Trump,” the former VP told Hamby, adding, “Trump is a master at laying nicknames on people and it’s this whole deal.”
“The vast majority of the voters out there, including young people, are not getting all their news from the internet,” the Democrat claimed. “But I’m trying to compete there. We’re getting started late in the comparative sense. One hundred and two million video views across social media platforms since mid-March for me. And in addition to that, we’re trying to get out with a message that relates to the reality of what people are facing.”
“And in terms of energy,” Biden added, “I don’t have any problem comparing my energy level to Donald Trump, who I’m really resisting giving a nickname to.”
The presumptive nominee later admitted he’s “sure we can do better on the internet. I’m positive of that.”
“But if you notice, the more they write about the internet, the more my poll numbers go up, in terms of beating Trump,” he said. “Nothing’s changed. We keep getting further and further ahead. So I’m not suggesting we can’t get better in the internet and social media platforms, but the fact is that we’re trying.”
Biden noted of his team’s work on Instagram and his podcast, “Here’s the Deal.”
“Recent events—the Instagram question and answer with one of the leading soccer players in the world, the head of our women’s soccer team,” he boasted. “The latest episode of the Here’s the Deal podcast with Andrew Yang talking about inclusive economy. Virtual travel days in Florida. We’re trying to get better with it.”
“I can hardly wait to get out of being on my back porch here,” Biden said. “What I’m trying to do is play by the rules, the rules set by the governors and others that I not be out. That we be socially keeping ourselves back right now. But I’m looking forward to the time as this begins to loosen up, to be able to go out and campaign and hold rallies and do the rest.”
WATCH:
This has to be the most 🔥🔥🔥 thing ever said to Joe Biden.
“Basically there’s an entire discourse on the internet right now that’s painting you as creepy and old and out of touch and kinda lame” pic.twitter.com/fjlIUb1DGg
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 13, 2020
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