A Republican aide was skewered on Twitter after misfiring criticism at Joe Biden following the Washington Redskins’ announcement that the NFL franchise would change its name and logo.
Steve Guest, a Republican National Committee spokesman, tweeted a photo of the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee with his sons, the late Beau Biden and surviving Hunter Biden, when they were children. Hunter Biden is wearing a Redskins beanie in the image.
“Hey Joe Biden, are you still a Redskins fan?” Guest wrote Monday in the now-deleted post.
The missive was quickly latched on to by Democrats for depicting the two-term vice president and Delaware’s 36-year senator looking after his sons shortly following the loss of his first wife, Neilia, then 30, and 1-year-old daughter Naomi in a 1972 car crash.
“Oh no, a photo of @JoeBiden as a loving and caring father, you guys really nailed us this time,” Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield wrote back.
Oh no, a photo of @JoeBiden as a loving and caring father, you guys really nailed us this time https://t.co/s6tWSj0VuT
— Kate Bedingfield (@KBeds) July 13, 2020
University of Southern California Center for the Political Future director Robert Shrum weighed in too.
“What an obscene and desperate tweet,” the longtime Democratic strategist wrote. “@JoeBiden is taking his surviving sons to a football game after their mother and sister were killed. The team name was no big issue back then. History moves on, but Guest and GOP rapid response just shot themselves in the foot.”
What an obscene and desperate tweet. @JoeBiden is taking his surviving sons to a football game after their mother and sister were killed. The team name was no big issue back then. History moves on, but Guest and GOP rapid response just shot themselves in the foot. https://t.co/iP4Btxq62V
— Robert Shrum (@BobShrum) July 13, 2020
Tom Nichols, the former Republican national security academic who now advises the “Never Trump” PAC the Lincoln Project, piled on.
“This is serious campaign excellence, in which the GOP rapid response team reminds us that Joe Biden was a widower and single dad, realizes how dumb a move that is, and then deletes it,” he wrote.
This is serious campaign excellence, in which the GOP rapid response team reminds us that Joe Biden was a widower and single dad, realizes how dumb a move that is, and then deletes it. https://t.co/XPaoRpTNnz
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 13, 2020
Redskins team owner Dan Snyder and head coach Ron Rivera revealed Monday they were “working closely to develop a new name and design” after using the current one since the 1930s. Critics have long called the name racist and insensitive toward Native Americans, but the campaign against it gained substantial traction after George Floyd’s death reignited a discussion around race relations.
Though Joe Biden and his second wife, former second lady Jill Biden, live in Delaware, the pair were born in Pennsylvania. The Bidens have been snapped a number of times supporting the Philadelphia Eagles, including after Super Bowl LII, when the team beat the New England Patriots.
“This team never gave up. No matter the injuries, no matter the odds. They showed incredible heart. What a great win tonight, @Eagles. #FlyEaglesFly,” Joe Biden tweeted.
This team never gave up. No matter the injuries, no matter the odds. They showed incredible heart. What a great win tonight, @Eagles. #FlyEaglesFly
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) February 5, 2018
