'Trump-style' TV rant: Biden slams Democrat party 'elites,' challenges rivals to run against him

Joe Biden, it seems, is pulling a 'Trump'. The US President, looking forward to another term in the White House, as per reports, has taken a page out of his Republican rival Donald Trump's book. On Monday (Jul 8), the Democrat dialled into a morning TV show, lamenting against the "elite" Democrats asking him to quit the election race.

The move, as per news agency AFP, is reminiscent of Trump's days as a president when he would routinely phone into conservative Fox and Friends TV show prattling about whatever struck his fancy.

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What did Biden say?

Phoning into liberal-leaning MSNBC network's Morning Joe programme, a fiery-sounding Biden said he's "getting so frustrated by the elites."

"I'm not talking about you guys — the elites in the party, 'Oh, they know so much more,'" he ranted.

Putting out an open challenge to the Democrats against his presidential re-run, he added,"Any of these guys that don't think I should run — run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention."

The "elite" narrative is nothing new. Populist leaders, including Trump, have used it to rally people against the "elites" while being a part of the so-called group themselves.

His phone-in speech of sorts garnered mixed responses. On one hand, Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter forBarack Obama, commented that while Biden's "energy is great", his "message absolutely sucks," labelling it "Angry, defensive, lashing out at all the wrong people."

On the other hand, the likes of Hollywood directorRob Reiner known for movies like When Harry Met Sallysaid if Biden were to keep up similar performances until the November elections "he'll be able to shut up people like me who think he should step aside."

Biden goes 'full Trump'

This is not the only inspiration the usually mild-mannered Biden has taken from Trump.

Joe Biden has taken to touting the huge crowd at his rallies, a move right out of his predecessor's playbook.

At a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he boasted to his audience, "We've been drawing big crowds. Ever since the debate, not joking, even that night we had big crowds afterwards."

He has also taken to bragging about his accomplishments, to the press and his congressmen peers — in the letter he wrote recently.

Not only that, Biden has also taken up Trump's typically aggressive persona to slam him, whether by calling him a "loser" a threat to democracy or slamming him for having "sex with a porn star" during the Presidential debate watched by 50 million people.

People have also commented on him borrowing Trump's signature "orange" sheen. As Paul Murray, a commentator on Sky Australia, commented recently, Biden had gone from "white to orange".

"Is he trying to trick the voters of America that he's Donald Trump?" he asked jokingly.

(With inputs from agencies)