President Joe Biden made one of the more tone-deaf appearances of his presidency when he visited the wildfire-ravaged island of Maui and promptly cracked jokes about the “hot ground” and suggested he could relate to the loss due to a small kitchen fire at his home that took place almost 20 years ago.
To be sure, humor can sometimes offer a moment of levity during times of crisis. But it can also be wildly inappropriate. This was the latter.
We can’t imagine that the President’s handlers, when discussing statements that could be made during his visit to Maui said, “Let’s try a joke about how hot the ground is.”
Yet, here we are.
Biden greeted an emergency worker who was working with a service dog, quite possibly a cadaver dog with nearly 1,000 people still missing, and commented that he was wearing “boots.”
“You guys catch the boots out here?” he said, turning to reporters and smiling. “That’s a hot ground, man.”
JUST IN: President Biden jokes about how hot the ground is in Maui after a fire ripped through, killing hundreds.
“You guys catch the boots out here? That’s a hot ground, man,” he joked.
Despite media reports of roughly 100 deaths from the fires, locals estimate that at least… pic.twitter.com/mRlVuN9kns
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 21, 2023
Biden’s Awful Maui Visit
One would be willing to forgive President Biden’s inability to read the room by delivering smirking jokes if he hadn’t been smirking for days before even bothering to visit Maui.
It took him nearly two weeks after unprecedented wildfires devastated the island, leaving 114 officially dead (thus far), and 850 still unaccounted for. It is easily one of the worst natural disasters in Hawaii’s history.
Before visiting, however, Biden needed a vacation at the beach — then he needed another vacation.
“Where’s the president?” asks one survivor of the Maui wildfires.
“Aren’t we Americans, too? We’re part of the United States, but why are we getting put in the back pocket? Why are we being ignored?” pic.twitter.com/QV2lOGhiCq
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 19, 2023
And all Biden had to offer on his vacation was a smirk and a “no comment.”
“Any comment on the rising death toll in Maui?”
BIDEN: “No. No comment.” pic.twitter.com/oORpRuLUpz
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 14, 2023
Then, he immediately went into hiding, avoiding reporters — but kept smirking.
Biden again SMIRKS as he ignores reporters asking for comment on the rising death toll of the Maui wildfires pic.twitter.com/EYSkUM00e3
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 15, 2023
When all was said and done, the administration offered victims a one-time $700 check — something one survivor called “a slap in the face.”
Now, here he is, smirking and making jokes about cadaver dogs having to wear boots because the ground is so hot, man.
114 people burned to death in Maui
Over 1000 people are still missing, including children
and Biden is out here joking about how hot the ground ispic.twitter.com/Vz6au52wAX
— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) August 21, 2023
Biden Compares Wildfires To His Small Kitchen Fire
Aside from the “hot ground” joke, President Biden also stumbled over his words and quipped that the Mayor of Maui County looked like he played defensive tackle for “somebody good.”
Democrats behind him chuckled at the comment. Because the people of Maui, still sifting through the devastation, are probably thrilled that they’re acting like it’s just another appearance at a campaign fundraiser.
Biden says to the Mayor of Maui County: “You look like you played defensive tackle for, I don’t know who, but somebody good” and then says the wildfires are a “national travedy.” pic.twitter.com/ZbQDx5ZW3i
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 21, 2023
Just a complete, unmitigated buffoon.
President Biden, as he often does, tried to make the situation about himself, suggesting that he shared the pain of the victims and their families in Maui by comparing the devastating wildfires to … a small kitchen fire he once had in his home.
“I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense — Jill and I — what it’s like to lose a home,” Biden said, comparing difficulties.
“Years ago now — 15 years ago — I was in Washington doing ‘Meet the Press.’ It was a sunny Sunday and lightning struck at home on a little lake that is outside of our home — not on a lake, a big pond,” he continued.
“And it hit a wire and came up underneath our home into the heating ducts, air conditioning ducts. And to make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my ’67 Corvette, and my cat,” said Biden.
“I almost lost my wife, my 67 corvette, my cat.”
Joe Biden feels the pain of Lahaina talking about his kitchen fire.
pic.twitter.com/xIeeRNJBj9— Will Cain (@willcain) August 22, 2023
An Associated Press report from that time describes the Biden house fire as “small” and “was contained to the kitchen.”
“The fire was under control in 20 minutes.,” said Cranston Heights Fire Company Chief at the time, George Lamborn.
IN GOD’S NAME! In case you missed this video last week. It was said to show a man who risked everything in Lahaina to save others in Hawaii. They survived. This was when some people jumped into the ocean to flee the wildfires in #Lahaina Town. President @JoeBiden is visiting Maui… pic.twitter.com/GtZa0LIwd7
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) August 21, 2023
Meanwhile, Biden couldn’t be bothered to remove his aviator sunglasses for nearly the entirety of his visit to Maui.
Amid the worst wildfire in more than a century, Biden is proving to be the real joke.
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