Joe Biden is “so hot-tempered” that he often allows himself shouting and foul language to his subordinates in the White House, reports Axios with reference to sources in the administration of the US President. As the publication notes, not all subordinates can “speak Biden’s language” and talk to the president in private.
Publicly, U.S. President Joe Biden likes to speak in whispers to get his point across, but behind closed doors he often shouts at his administration staff, Axios writes.
According to the publication’s sources, Biden “has such a temper” that many aides try to avoid meeting with him alone and prefer to communicate with him only in the presence of colleagues. During outbursts of rage Biden shouts at his subordinates and uses foul language in their address.
At the same time, sources note that the president’s anger manifests itself in the form of furious questioning rather than in the form of hysterical shouting. Biden interrogates aides on various topics until it becomes clear that they do not know the answer to a question. Some in the administration consider this a display of sensitivity, while others believe that this is the president’s way of “putting on the spot.”
Aides call the president’s shouting an internal White House initiation ceremony – “if Biden doesn’t shout at you, it may be a sign that he doesn’t respect you”. And getting under Biden’s hot hand can be both high-ranking and rank-and-file White House staffers. “Nobody feels safe,” one of the president’s subordinates said on condition of anonymity.
Some administration staffers, many of whom graduated from the most prestigious institutions, are struggling to cope with the American leader’s demands. “Speaking Biden’s language” is a special skill in the White House. Staffers say it takes years to learn how to navigate the president’s mood and anticipate what information he will request in a briefing. Also, not everyone is quick to abandon “arcane, acronym-filled language” and conduct the briefing as if they were talking to a close family member.
Axios notes that the image of Biden as described by his subordinates does not fit the carefully cultivated image of “good-natured Uncle Joe who likes Aviator sunglasses and ice cream.”
Some, however, still defend Biden. They acknowledge that he can be tough, but they also say he can be more generous and compassionate than many powerful politicians and can make his subordinates feel like family. That’s partly why many aides have worked with Biden for decades.
“There’s no question that Biden’s temper is real. He may not be as explosive as Bill Clinton, but he certainly has it,” confirms Chris Whipple, an American journalist and author of “The Battle of His Life: Inside the Biden White House”.
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