President Joe Biden’s remarks were no match for a crying toddler on Friday, but the White House crowd’s reaction to a quip about his speech drowned out the whimpering interruptions.
Biden, who welcomed the NCAA Championship-winning men’s basketball team from the University of Connecticut to the White House, was midway through reflecting on a conversation he had with university President Radenka Maric when the child sounded off in the audience.
“I was telling the president of the university that when I was in school… That’s OK, she’s allowed to do anything you want. Kids rule in my house,” Biden said as he directed his attention to the crying.
The crowd’s laughter, however, didn’t end the crying, so Biden softened his voice for the toddler.
“What’s the matter? What’s the matter? I don’t blame you; I’m bored with me, too,” he quipped.
Twitter users were quick to compare Biden’s exchange with the child to remarks from former President Donald Trump, who called on a parent to “get the baby outta here” when he heard crying in a campaign rally’s crowd in 2016.
“Don’t worry about that baby. I love babies, I love babies. I hear that baby crying, I like it… don’t worry,” he initially said.
But Trump later said, “Actually, I was only kidding. You can get the baby outta here.”
“Character matters,” wrote Chris D. Jackson, a Tennessee election commissioner, in a tweet alongside a clip of Trump’s remarks.
CNN’s Ana Navarro, in another tweet, also wrote that Biden was a “good human being” for his interaction with the crying baby.
You can see more reactions, including comparisons between Biden and Trump, in the posts below.
