# Trump didn't "Bully" Biden and the media needs to quit saying that **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 30, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926 "2020-09-30T22:20:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/1 "2020-09-30T22:20:07Z")
Bullying is when you intimidate and strike fear into your victim. Trump did neither of those things. At best, Trump annoyed him. The Repubs are eating up this “bullying” nonsense and I really wish they would stop and call it what it actually is. Not sure what one word phrase would work best, but it’s certainly not “bullying”. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/2 "2020-09-30T22:27:02Z")
Just because Biden didn’t respond doesn’t mean Trump wasn’t trying to bully him. Not trying to say it was a crime but there is precedence of "attempted [crime] is still a crime. Attempted bullying is still bullying. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/3 "2020-09-30T22:29:31Z")
I take your point, but the optics are a delight for the MAGA crowd. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/4 "2020-09-30T22:52:21Z")
Maybe, but those guys are idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/5 "2020-09-30T22:55:00Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Bullying is when you intimidate and strike fear into your victim. Isn’t it when one attempts to do so? ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/6 "2020-09-30T22:56:53Z")
Dems should stop being so childish with language generally. Stop saying everything is bullying and scary and start saying disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/7 "2020-09-30T22:57:47Z")
Yes, refer to post 2 and 3. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/8 "2020-09-30T22:58:36Z")
And 4. 4’s a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/9 "2020-09-30T23:01:48Z")
Yes, because saying “you’re a number two” to your opponent in a Presidential debate is such a freaking _adult_ thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/10 "2020-09-30T23:04:07Z")
Whataboutism. Dems should stop talking like everything scares them. Including being called a number two. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/11 "2020-09-30T23:08:53Z")
What does this have to do with the OP? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/12 "2020-09-30T23:10:24Z")
> [@ThisIsTheEnd](#): > > Dems should stop talking like everything scares them. Nobody here is doing that, so who the hell are you responding to? “Whataboutism”? You should learn what a word means before you start throwing it around. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/13 "2020-09-30T23:10:42Z")
I was responding to the post I quoted, not to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/14 "2020-09-30T23:12:00Z")
Oh shit. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/15 "2020-09-30T23:12:23Z")
As I saw it I thought what Trump was doing that was exactly what a bully would do. I was not looking for bullying, but that’s what I saw and I could remember the same in elementary school. There is no question what so ever that 1: Trump didn’t participate in a debate what so ever so in doing so lost by default 2: Just was a bully. It was a insult to all watching, the insult was the muddle finger of Trump towards all of us. Case closed. I like the saying on November 3rd remember to flush the turd. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/16 "2020-09-30T23:14:26Z")
‘Tis OK. The new quoting style takes some getting used to. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/17 "2020-09-30T23:15:21Z")
> [@ThisIsTheEnd](#): > > Dems should stop being so childish with language _ **generally.** _ > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Nobody here is doing that, so who the hell are you responding to? You are one confused cat. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/18 "2020-09-30T23:17:32Z")
So which “Dems” are you referring to, because the _general_ impression I get is that they are talking about Trump’s attempts, not Trump’s supposed success. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/19 "2020-09-30T23:48:16Z")
> [@ThisIsTheEnd](#): > > Dems should stop talking like everything scares them. Including being called a number two. I wouldn’t be in the least scared about being called that by a three year old; or by an adult in a memory care facility; or even by a random adult on the loose but in no position of power. In the latter case I’d probably burst out laughing; it’s such a silly thing for an adult to say. Having a POTUS who thinks that’s a thing to come out with in the middle of what’s supposed to be a serious political discussion scares me, yes. I find it interesting that it apparently doesn’t scare you. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926/20 "2020-10-01T00:05:38Z")
Yes, how dare I be disgusted instead of scared when Trump calls Biden a number two. My reaction is utterly fascinating isn’t it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-didnt-bully-biden-and-the-media-needs-to-quit-saying-that/921926.md?page=2)