President Donald Trump boards Air Force One, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) We have all had the similar experience over the last year. When talking about how bad things are going in this country, whether in-person or online, with either family, friends or strangers you will inevitably get hit with an excuse that begins, “But Biden …”
It seems that no matter how badly things are going, President Trump, his administration, his army of cable news talking heads, podcasters, influencers, and regular supporters have a default excuse. “But Biden,” then fill in the blank is supposed to shut you up and accept that the current train wreck should be much, much worse.
It really doesn’t work anymore, does it? I mean, back in January 2025 and the early part of the second Trump term, it was very much a safe way to explain why his “day one” promises didn’t come to fruition right away. But inflation has gone up since the end of Biden’s term. Prices have gone up, the war with Ukraine did not end, we started a whole new war with Iran that was also won on Day One (but not really), gas has skyrocketed, and the list goes on.
It is now August 2026. More than 560 days have passed since Trump took office again. He has attained more power, surrounded himself with yes-men, has a Republican House and Senate, a 6-3 tilt on the Supreme Court, and no excuse to fail. But here we are, with Trump polling in Biden territory and trying to convince Americans that things are going great. And yet, when pressed, Trump and company keep defaulting to how bad things were under Biden.
A leader takes accountability for his job and his mistakes. The effect of tariffs didn’t have the impact that Trump promised, they hurt American businesses and our international trade relations. How badly? Well companies were refunded $100 billion and Trump still keeps pursuing this folly. It is hard to defend Trump as this point, but people still do so by blaming someone else.
We have all dealt with kids that haven’t learned how to take responsibility for their actions. There is always someone else to blame because they believe that their parents, teachers or other adults will believe them.
Sometimes kids will be caught red handed and still try to blame others. It is funny when they are young but aggravating when they get older. Now we are dealing with adults who can’t seem to take account of the fact that they voted for a disastrous president. We have seen countless Trump voters still blame others for Trump’s sole failures.
From Biden to Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton to just about anyone, it has gotten quite pathetic that people just can’t come to terms with the fact that he has messed up.
The Iran war should be a breaking point for any American. No one likes the theocratic regime in Iran, but Americans were very reluctant to get involved in yet another war in the Middle East. And yet, Trump plunged the country headfirst into a war with no plan and no realistic goals or endgame.
Here, the excuses begin with “But Obama,” in that the Iran nuclear deal that President Barack Obama negotiated was horrible and needed to be withdrawn from. This ultimately led to us attacking Iran. It is a bit curious that the man who brags that he has mastered the art of the deal didn’t even try to fix the alleged problems of the Obama deal and resorted to bombing instead. But here we are.
We all know there is no way Trump will ever hold himself accountable. His bizarre statements where he claims that we are in a “golden age” and everyone loves him is a testament to his worsening mental acuity. But we should stop entertaining those who still make excuses.
In the run up to the midterms, expect a lot of “buts” — “but Biden,” “but Obama,” “but Kamala,” “but Clinton,” “but the Democrats,” “but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” “but Zohran Mamdani,” et cetera. Such excuses will be spouted by many looking to deflect, unwilling to admit that the horse they backed is lame. Democrats must pounce without pulling any punches when it comes to these excuses from MAGA land.
Whenever Trump or his acolytes start to excuse him for his failure with this sort of whataboutism, politely tell them that using past politicians to excuse Trump’s current mess is already an admission that he has failed. He asked for complete power and the voters handed it to him. If he was unable to improve the situation over the predecessors he was criticizing, then he has failed.
When a president fails, it means our country is in bad shape. And you can’t argue that our country isn’t in bad shape. There is no need anymore to blame others for our current condition. Using Biden, Obama, or anyone as an excuse at this point is an admission that Trump has failed.
Joslin Joseph is a recipient of the Military Reporters and Editors award for Best Commentary-Opinion. A graduate of Harvard and Ohio State, he is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. He currently lives in Anaheim, Calif.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags Barack Obama Biden Iran Joe Biden Obama trump ukraineCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments: Link copiedMore Opinions - White House News
See All
Opinions - White House Jeanine Pirro has finally admitted the truth about the reflecting pool by Bennett L. Gershman, opinion contributor 5 days ago Opinions - White House / 5 days ago 
