Trump Throws Shade at Biden’s Decision to Sign With Hollywood Talent Agency

Donald Trump questioned Joe Biden's decision to sign for CAA.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed surprise that Joe Biden was launching a Hollywood career at 82.

Told the former president had signed up with Creative Arts Agency, Trump said: “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“I would have thought he has bigger problems than that,” added the president, “but I wish him well.”

Trump had little more to say about Biden’s post-presidential plans, taking the opportunity to complain about the “mess” he had inherited and how he was going to “make America great again.”

Biden’s health became a major concern in the twilight months of his White House term, especially after his deer-in-the-headlights performance in the only head-to-head match-up with Trump in the campaign debate.

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CAA is one of Hollywood’s biggest talent firms, and represents stars like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts. It also represented Biden after his stint as vice president.

But Trump’s veiled question mirrored entertainment industry experts who were wondering what kind of projects Biden might be considering. He went on a speaking tour—the American Promise Tour—when he was with the agency between 2017 and 2020 and sold more than 85,000 tickets, according to the Los Angeles Times.

He also published his memoir, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose.

His income rocketed to $15 million in the two years after leaving office, compared the the $400,000 a year he earned as vice president.

But Biden left office with poor approval ratings and speculation that he was protected from the public by loyal staff who worried how he would perform in front of the cameras. It is thought unlikely that he would consider the rigors of a speaking tour, however lucrative it could prove.

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Another book is thought more likely, possibly covering his contests with Trump.

Biden’s son, Hunter, is also seeking opportunities in Hollywood, says the Los Angeles Times. He is said to be interested in podcasting and public speaking after being pardoned for tax and gun offenses during his father’s final days in office.