Biden trolled over 2019 'quid pro quo' tweet about Trump that critics think 'endorses his own impeachment'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden found himself under intense scrutiny as a past remark resurfaced, sparking quite a buzz on social media and prompting calls for his impeachment from Republican quarters.

The controversy stems from a tweet Biden made in 2019, during his presidential campaign, condemning then-President Donald Trump's actions regarding military aid to Ukraine.

In the post, the incumbent labeled Trump's behavior as a "quid pro quo," a term that has now returned to haunt him.

"President Trump withheld Congressionally appropriated aid to Ukraine unless they granted him a political favor," wrote Biden in 2019 about the effort to impeach Trump over a phone call with Ukraine that Democrats branded as a "quid pro quo."

The POTUS added, "It's the definition of quid pro quo. This is no joke—Trump continues to put his own personal, political interests ahead of the national interest. He must be impeached."

Trump's subsequent impeachment over the Ukraine affair has cast a shadow over Biden's recent decision to withhold certain military aid from Israel due to objections to its military campaign in Gaza.

Conservatives accuse President Joe Biden of hypocrisy

Conservatives wasted no time drawing parallels, accusing Biden of engaging in the same behavior he had condemned Trump for.

"Wow — how newly relevant," wrote New York Post reporter Jon Levine on X (formerly Twitter). RedState's front-page contributor Bonchie shared Biden's 2019 post and stated, "Joe Biden endorses his own impeachment," added.

"This is no joke—Biden continues to put his own personal, political interests ahead of the national interest. He must be impeached," expressed Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist. 

Echoing other conservatives, Steve Guest wrote, "Joe Biden is withholding Congressionally appropriated aid to Israel unless they grant him a political favor. It's the definition of quid pro quo," chimed in.

"Joe Biden withheld Congressionally appropriated aid to uproot Hamas in a political pay off pro-Hamas radicals. This warrants impeachment and criminal investigation — including exploring all ties between Biden aides and Iran," asserted ex-Trump adviser Stephen Miller. 

Pushback and legal justification

Despite the uproar, some have pushed back against the notion of impeachable offenses, citing a 2020 report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

The said report noted the legal provisions under the Arms Export Control Act of 1961, which "prohibits the sale or delivery of US-origin defense articles if the President finds that a recipient country has used such articles for unauthorized purposes."

A White House official dismissed accusations of hypocrisy, insisting that the decision regarding aid to Israel was about ensuring the national interest, not personal gain.

"Senior administration officials had already made multiple public statements about Rafah similar to the President’s, including that we are also ensuring Israel gets every dollar appropriated in the supplemental," told the official to Fox News.

They added, "Trump failed to spend dollars appropriated by Congress that he was legally required to spend. This is about a purchase made by a foreign government using its own funds, not funds appropriated by Congress, and our decision whether to deliver that purchase right now, which could enable an operation we’ve publicly and privately objected to."

However, House Republicans seem undeterred by such justifications. News broke on Friday, May 10, that articles of impeachment had been filed against President Biden over the controversy.

GOP Rep Cory Mills accused Biden of abusing his powers by soliciting a quid pro quo with Israel, undermining both US credibility and the interests of a key ally.

In a statement, Mills noted, "In violation of his oath to faithfully execute the office of President and to uphold the Constitution, President Biden abused the powers of his office by soliciting a 'quid pro quo' with Israel while leveraging vital military aid for policy changes."

He continued, "This egregious action not only compromised the credibility of the United States but also undermined the interests of our longstanding ally, Israel. Therefore, President Biden's conduct warrants impeachment, trial, removal from office, and disqualification from holding any future office under the United States."

Even within Biden's own party, criticism has emerged. "It looks like election-year politics was driving it. That's my impression," said Democratic Rep Ritchie Torres. 

Internet reacts to President Joe Biden's resurfaced tweet about Donald Trump

One wrote, "Looks like Biden's tweet aged like fine wine... or maybe like a meme that keeps coming back to bite him!" Another stated, "Biden's despicable act of going against his word to support Israel's refusal to send bombs is the definition of quid pro quo."

"Oh ya Joe Biden has forgotten more than most people remember," quipped a person, with someone else adding, "Just further evidence added to the mountain of proof that this WH actor is a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic."

"Impeach him already," fumed an individual. 

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