Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has developed a habit: blaming Joe Biden for nearly every problem he faces. Whether it’s the economy, trade, or immigration issues, Trump seems unable to let go of his predecessor, using Biden as a scapegoat for his own mistakes. But it’s not just political insiders noticing—Americans are getting tired of hearing the same excuse over and over.
In a recent interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, Trump laid out his argument: the “good” parts of the economy are due to his policies, while the “bad” parts are the result of Biden’s failures. “I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are the Biden economy because he’s done a terrible job,” Trump said.
But blaming Biden for economic struggles is nothing new. In fact, Trump has made it a regular part of his public speeches. Days after the NBC interview, he took another swipe at Biden during a discussion about U.S.-Canada relations, quickly turning it into a rant about trade. Trump claimed that, under Biden, the U.S. was losing “billions of dollars a day” on trade. He also tried to take credit for reversing these problems, even though his own policies had contributed to some of the very issues he was blaming on Biden.
Trump didn’t stop there. In a bizarre moment, he blamed Biden for a supposed influx of criminals and illegal immigrants into the country. “Look at Biden,” Trump said. “People leaving. They weren’t coming in. They were leaving with Biden, and he didn’t know the difference… illegal immigrants… criminals and murderers.”
Despite these constant attacks on Biden, Trump has found few allies in this blame game. A recent Gallup poll shows that nearly half of Americans blame Trump more than Biden for the state of the economy. In fact, Trump’s tendency to deflect responsibility has begun to wear thin. As political analyst Larry Sabato put it, “The Biden blame game is already stale.” Sabato argued that while Trump’s base may still buy into the blame narrative, the rest of the country is starting to see it for what it is: a deflection from Trump’s own failures.
Trump’s fixation on Biden also shows a lack of accountability. Historically, U.S. presidents who win the White House after defeating an incumbent tend to focus on moving the country forward, not rehashing the past. Ronald Reagan didn’t waste time blaming Jimmy Carter after his victory in 1980, and Bill Clinton didn’t spend his first days in office criticizing George H.W. Bush. Even George W. Bush didn’t harp on Bill Clinton’s mistakes when he took office in 2001. Instead, Trump seems stuck on replay, repeatedly pointing fingers at Biden instead of taking charge of the issues on his own watch.
Trump’s continuous blame game also highlights his unwillingness to own up to mistakes, especially when it comes to his handling of the economy. During his first few months in office, he claimed credit for any economic upswing, while blaming Biden for any downturns. For example, when questioned about the economy contracting during the first quarter of his term, Trump pointed to Biden as the cause. “We inherited a mess,” he said, deflecting any responsibility for the problems his administration faced.
But it’s not just about the economy. Trump’s insistence on constantly invoking Biden’s name shows a deeper insecurity about his own leadership. Andrew Bates, a former Biden press secretary, argued that Trump’s focus on Biden reflects a “self-inflicted” economic downturn. “Joe Biden handed Donald Trump an economy that was out-matching all our rivals… In 100 days, Trump sent that economy into an unprecedented tailspin with tariffs,” Bates said.
What’s more, voters are starting to tune out Trump’s constant finger-pointing. As Sabato pointed out, Trump’s base may still cling to his blame narrative, but the broader public is growing tired of it. “If there’s a recession, Katie bar the door. It will be the Trump Recession, and there’s no escaping his personal responsibility,” Sabato warned.
Trump’s strategy may have worked for a while, but it’s beginning to backfire. Voters are increasingly seeing through his efforts to dodge responsibility. The longer Trump refuses to take ownership of his mistakes, the less effective his blame game becomes. Whether it’s the economy, immigration, or trade, Trump can’t keep using Biden as a scapegoat forever—especially when the consequences are starting to land squarely on his own doorstep.
