At a National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) fundraising event, Donald Trump once again took aim at his favourite target: Joe Biden. Standing before a crowd of GOP loyalists and party donors, the former president delivered a rambling but animated speech that mixed campaign bravado with late-night talk show energy. The headline moment came when Trump launched into a characteristic diatribe about Biden’s mental fitness.
“Somebody asked [Biden] which countries are doing well under his administration,” Trump said, pausing for dramatic effect. “He couldn’t name a single one. Not one! What’s the name of our country? He doesn’t know!”
The audience erupted with laughter and applause, the kind of performative amusement that has become a hallmark of Trump’s post-presidency events. For Trump, the line was a throwback to the 2024 campaign trail — a well-worn strategy of painting Biden as cognitively compromised, even if the former president hasn’t held office since January.
Of course, Trump’s jab was more about vibes than facts. Biden, now out of office, hasn’t exactly disappeared from public life — though he’s certainly kept a lower profile than Trump, who seems determined to campaign forever. But the accuracy of Trump’s claims has never been the point. In Trump’s political universe, perception is reality, and repeating an insult often enough is as good as making it true.
The NRCC backdrop wasn’t incidental. The event was, nominally, about raising money for congressional candidates, but it also functioned as a platform for Trump to reassert his dominance over the Republican Party. His endorsement remains the golden ticket in GOP primaries, and his continued focus on Biden signals two things: first, that he still sees Biden as a useful foil; and second, that the 2024 election — which Trump lost — is not, in his mind, a closed chapter.
The joke about Biden not knowing the name of his own country may seem like low-hanging fruit, but it plays well with Trump’s base. It also fits neatly into a broader theme of Republican messaging: that under Biden, America was “embarrassed,” “weak,” and “in decline.” And while Biden is no longer president, his image still serves as a convenient scarecrow for rallying Republican sentiment.
To some observers, the moment underscored the surreal nature of Trump’s political strategy — mocking a former president as if he were still the main obstacle. But in today’s Republican politics, Trump is the gravity well. Events that are supposed to be about the party or the future inevitably bend toward him, his grievances, and his comedy-club jabs.
As for Biden, he hasn’t responded to Trump’s latest insult. Then again, perhaps that’s the best move. After all, Trump’s punchlines don’t require a rebuttal — they require a spotlight. And that, more than anything, is what he continues to chase.