Axelrod: Biden ‘wouldn’t be the first’ to call me a ‘pr‑‑‑’ 

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod brushed aside reporting that President Biden used colorful language to complain about his recent commentary about Biden’s reelection chances and political future.

Politico’s Jonathan Martin, who has covered Biden for years, reported Monday that Biden referred to him as a “pr‑‑‑” following Axelrod’s recent comments, citing a person who has heard Biden use the word on occasion in private.

Axelrod, who is now a CNN contributor and political analyst, was asked about Martin’s reporting during an appearance on the network Monday.

“He wouldn’t be the first, I guess, in my many years in politics,” Axelrod said of Biden. “Listen, I understand he was irritated because I raised concerns that many, many Democrats had. And again, my feeling is either get out or get going.”

Axelrod, a longtime Democratic political operative who was a key player in the Obama administration, made headlines last week with a suggestion that Biden should consider stepping aside from running for reelection for the good of the country.

The pundit’s commentary came the same day as new polling that found Biden trailing former President Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, in several key battleground states in a potential 2024 match-up.

“The stakes are so high,” Axelrod said Monday, standing by his comments. “This isn’t [Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah)] or [former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)] … this is Donald Trump. It’s a fundamental question as to what American Democracy is going to look like the day after the next election. He knows that … I’m glad that I said it, and I’ll live with the fact that the president is unhappy with me.”