President Joe Biden, who likes to whisper to make a point in public, repeatedly swears at his staff in impassioned tirades behind closed doors, Axios reported on Monday.
The president has such a short temper that some aides try to avoid meeting alone with him, a sharp contrast to his carefully cultivated image as a kindly uncle.
Jeff Connaughton, a former Biden campaign and Senate aide told Axios that the president "hides his sharper edge to promote his folksy Uncle Joe image — which is why, when flashes of anger break through, it seems so out of public character."
Biden's admonitions, which are directed at aides of all levels, include: "God dammit, how the f*** don't you know this?!," "Don't f***ing bullsh*t me!" and "Get the f*** out of here!" — according to current and former Biden aides who have witnessed and been on the receiving end of such outbursts.
Some have said Biden would actually be better off displaying his temper in public from time to time as a way to alleviate concerns among voters that he is too disengaged and too old to be president.
"There's no question that the Biden temper is for real," said Chris Whipple, author of "The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden's White House," adding that "it may not be as volcanic as Bill Clinton’s, but it's definitely there.
In the book, he quotes former White House press secretary Jen Psaki as saying: "I said to [Biden] multiple times, 'I'll know we have a really good, trusting relationship when you yell at me the first time.'"
Others have said that if Biden doesn't yell at you, it could be a sign he doesn't respect you.
Biden's temper has been described as angry interrogations rather than erratic tantrums, such as grilling aides on issues until it is clear they don’t know the answer to a question.
Ted Kaufman, Biden's longtime chief of staff when he represented Delaware in the Senate, told Axios that "if there is something that's not in the brief, he's going to find it."
Kaufman added that "it's not to embarrass people, it's because he wants to get to the right decision. Most people who have worked for him like the fact that he challenges them and gets them to a better decision."
Although Biden defenders acknowledge he can be tough, they add that he can also be more generous and compassionate than many powerful politicians and can make them feel like family.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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