Biden just wants to be like Trump.
President Joe Biden made waves during a speech at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday, admitting a mistake he made in 2021 when pandemic relief checks were sent out under his administration. Reflecting on the past, Biden expressed regret over not putting his name on those checks, a move that was notably carried out by former President Donald Trump during his term.
“I signed off on the American Rescue Plan, the most important economic recovery package in America’s history, and I also found out something from Donald Trump,” Biden remarked. “He signed his name on those checks for Americans for $7,400… and I did not. Stupid.”
During the early months of the pandemic, President Trump ensured that his name was stamped on the coronavirus relief checks, marking a historic first for a U.S. president. This move was widely discussed at the time, especially among his supporters, who saw it as a personal gesture of goodwill. On the other hand, Biden’s administration sent out relief payments without his name on them, a decision he now admits was a missed opportunity for political goodwill.
Despite his regret over the missing signatures, Biden has taken credit for several economic achievements, including creating 16 million jobs, funding infrastructure projects, and investing in renewable energy. However, these accomplishments have done little to quell the widespread public discontent over rising inflation, which saw food, fuel, and housing costs soar in 2022. A recent AP VoteCast survey revealed that more than 60% of voters view the economy negatively, a sentiment that weighed heavily in the 2024 election, where many Americans are turning to Trump as a solution.
Biden’s speech also included a warning about the future under Trump’s leadership. While Biden boasted about the current economic recovery, with unemployment at a low 4.2% and new business applications reaching record highs, he cautioned that Trump’s proposed policies—such as sweeping tax cuts and tariffs on foreign imports—could stall this progress. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, speaking separately at a Wall Street Journal CEO summit, echoed this concern, stating that broad tariffs could raise prices for American consumers.
Looking ahead, Biden warned that Trump’s upcoming term could be a “dangerous” one for the economy, especially if he were to push forward with policies like those outlined in Project 2025, a controversial framework supported by the Heritage Foundation. Though Trump has distanced himself from the initiative, Biden called it a potential “economic disaster.”
In closing, Biden implored President-elect Trump to abandon some of his more harmful proposals. “I pray to our heavenly father that the president-elect scraps Project 2025,” Biden said. “I believe it would be an economic disaster.” With inflation still a concern for many voters and economic recovery still fragile, Biden’s remarks suggest that the battle for America’s economic future is far from over.