Neocon and rabid anti-Trumper Bill Kristol has been getting torched on social media for comparing President Joe Biden’s dangerous call for a regime change in Russia to former President Ronald Reagan’s iconic “tear down this wall” speech.
“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said of Russian leader Vladimir Putin during his speech in Poland.
While world leaders criticized the president’s remarks, with French President Emanuel Macron saying it could lead to a breakdown in peace negotiations, Bill Kristol hailed it as a historic moment on par with Reagan.
"Gaffes" by U.S. presidents, per the foreign policy establishment:
“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”
— Joe Biden, Royal Castle, Warsaw
March 26, 2022"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
— Ronald Reagan, Brandenburg Gate, West Berlin
June 12, 1987— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) March 27, 2022
Kristol was joined by several other pro-Biden figures in his appreciation of the speech.
All the President’s smart people didn’t want Reagan to say, “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
And all the President’s smart people wish Biden hadn’t said, “For God’s sake, this man can’t remain in power.”
All the President’s smart people are often wrong.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) March 27, 2022
Reagan was advised not to say to Gorbachev ‘tear down this wall’ in relation to the Berlin Wall, but did it anyway. Inevitably, perhaps, the strongest rallying calls are often against the official advice. https://t.co/YP0IGDX2tA
— Tim Walker (@ThatTimWalker) March 27, 2022
Tops Reagan’s 1987 “tear down this wall” speech. https://t.co/OEyfIKrGH1
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 26, 2022
Kristol’s comment was met with immediate backlash:
Reagan's staff didn't come out immediately and say "No, no, no, that's not what he meant. The wall can stay. Keeping the wall is entirely cool with us." When did you become an idiot Kristol?
— PB Firearms (@FirearmsPB) March 27, 2022
From a White House official after Biden's speech: “The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.”
— Tarini Parti (@tparti) March 26, 2022
I know he's not this dumb, so I assume this is just some form of Straussian esoteric communication that I am not meant to understand. https://t.co/b5DmBFGatX
— Jeff B. is *BOX OFFICE POISON* (@EsotericCD) March 27, 2022
You ridiculous old fool.
Reagan's comment wasn't a gaffe, wasn't walked back, and probably was the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union. https://t.co/jfP1szw4tJ
— Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) March 27, 2022
Comparisons of Biden’s statement to Reagan’s speech were further nullified on Sunday when the president walked the statement back.
“Mr. President, do you want Putin removed? Mr. President, were you calling for regime change?” a reporter asked Biden as he exited church on Sunday.
“No,” Biden replied.
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