The 35-year-old father who said "Let's go, Brandon" during a Christmas Eve call with President Biden now says it was an "innocent jest," The Guardian reports.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were answering calls to the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) Santa Tracker hotline when Jared Schmeck called in. Schmeck and the Bidens discussed how Schmeck planned to spend the holiday with his wife and four children, but as they prepared to end the call, Schmeck said "Merry Christmas, and let's go, Brandon."
Jill Biden winced, but the president repeated calmly, "Let's go, Brandon. I agree." The entire incident was being streamed live.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Let's go, Brandon" became a euphemism for "F--k Joe Biden" after a sportscaster mistook the latter for the former at an October NASCAR race. In a report on the Christmas Eve incident, NBC News referred to the phrase as a "right-wing slur."
"At the end of the day I have nothing against Mr. Biden," Schmeck told The Oregonian. "But I am frustrated because I think he can be doing a better job. I mean no disrespect to him." Schmeck also said he is not a "Trumper," describing himself instead as a "free-thinking American and follower of Jesus Christ," and said he is now "being attacked for utilizing my freedom of speech."
"It was merely just an innocent jest to also express my God-given right to express my frustrations in a joking manner," Schmeck said. "I understand there is a vulgar meaning to 'Lets go Brandon,' but I'm not that simple minded," he said at another point, adding later that he "stood 100 percent behind what I did and what I said."
Some commentators have argued that Biden's unruffled response is indicative of his level-headedness and self-confidence.
Others have claimed Biden simply repeated Schmeck's words back to him because he lacked the mental acuity to understand them.
-
How are these Epstein files so damaging to Trump?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Republicans and Democrats release dueling tranches of Epstein-related documents, the White House finds itself caught in a mess partially of its own making
-
Margaret Atwood’s memoir, intergenerational trauma and the fight to make spousal rape a crime: Welcome to November booksThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Cursed Daughters’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite and 'Without Consent' by Sarah Weinman
-
‘Tariffs are making daily life less affordable now’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Supreme Court to decide on mail-in ballot limitsSpeed Read The court will determine whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day
