Politics in 2024 felt like a fever dream that just wouldn't end. One minute you're watching a debate, the next, the entire ticket has swapped. By the time November rolled around, the internet was looking for any sign of drama to explain the chaos. Then came the theory that stopped everyone mid-scroll: did Biden vote Trump? It sounds like the plot of a political thriller that went straight to DVD, but for a few days, social media was convinced it had the receipts.
Let's be real. The idea that Joe Biden, the man who spent four years as Donald Trump’s primary antagonist, would walk into a polling booth and check the box for his rival is wild. But in an era of deepfakes and "subliminal messages," nothing is too crazy for the X (formerly Twitter) timeline.
The "Red Tie" Theory: How a Fashion Choice Sparked a Firestorm
The rumor didn't just appear out of thin air. It started with a tie. Specifically, a bright red tie worn by President Biden on a day when the political world was hyper-analyzing every single pixel of footage coming out of the White House.
In the language of American politics, red is Republican. Blue is Democrat. This isn't exactly a secret. So, when Biden showed up sporting a tie that matched the GOP color palette, the "MAGA Biden" memes basically wrote themselves. People started claiming he was sending a "coded signal" because he was supposedly bitter about being pushed out of the race in favor of Kamala Harris.
Honestly, it’s a stretch. If we judged every politician's loyalty by the color of their neckwear, we’d have a lot of explaining to do for all those times Trump wore a blue tie. But the internet doesn't care about logic when there’s a juicy narrative at stake. The theory suggested that Biden was so slighted by the Democratic party’s "putsch" (as some critics called his withdrawal) that he decided to sabotage his own Vice President.
Jill Biden’s Red Suit Added Fuel to the Fire
If Joe's tie was the spark, the First Lady’s outfit was the gasoline. On Election Day, Jill Biden was spotted wearing a vibrant red pantsuit.
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"Jill Biden is wearing Republican Red today. Does she know something we don't?" — One viral post that racked up millions of views.
Critics and conspiracy theorists, including comedian Alex Stein, went on various news outlets to argue that this wasn't an accident. They claimed it was a "subliminal message" to the world. The logic? She was signaling her support for Trump because the Biden family felt betrayed by the Democratic establishment. It’s a fun story for a podcast, but it ignores the fact that Jill Biden had spent the last three months campaigning tirelessly for Kamala Harris.
Did Joe Biden Vote for Trump? Looking at the Facts
When you get past the TikTok theories and look at how voting actually works for a sitting President, the "Biden voted Trump" theory falls apart pretty quickly.
- Voter Secrecy is Real: In the United States, we have a secret ballot. Unless a voter chooses to show their marked ballot to a camera, we don't actually know who they voted for. Biden cast his ballot in New Castle, Delaware, during the early voting period. He stood in line like everyone else, went behind a curtain, and did his thing.
- The Public Record: While the choice is secret, the participation is public. We know for a fact that Biden voted. We also know he spent the months leading up to the election calling Donald Trump an "existential threat to democracy."
- The Kamala Factor: Biden didn't just step aside; he immediately endorsed Harris. He let her use his campaign funds (which was a legal headache in itself) and appeared at events for her. Voting for Trump would mean Biden was voting against his own legacy, his own VP, and everything he spent 50 years in Washington building.
Why People Actually Believed the Rumor
So, why did this "did Biden vote Trump" thing gain so much traction? It wasn't just about the clothes. It was about the vibes.
After Biden withdrew from the race on July 21, 2024, there were reports of friction between the Biden "West Wing" and the Harris "campaign" teams. Politics is a messy business. Biden had just been told by his own party leaders—people like Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama—that he couldn't win. That hurts.
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People love a "revenge" narrative. The idea of Biden secretly rooting for the guy who beat him in 2020 just to spite the people who forced him out? That’s "House of Cards" level drama.
The Post-Election Comments
After Trump won the 2024 election, Biden’s reaction was surprisingly... normal? He didn't look like a man who had just helped his enemy win. He gave a speech in the Rose Garden promising a "peaceful and orderly transition."
In an interview with The View months later, Biden admitted he felt "partially responsible" for the loss because he was the one in charge. He even said he thought he could have beaten Trump if he’d stayed in. But he also blamed the pandemic's lingering effects and "sexism" for Harris's defeat. Nowhere in that long, rambling reflection did he sound like a man who had secretly crossed enemy lines.
The Verdict on the Red Tie Rumor
Basically, the red tie was just a tie.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a red tie is just the one that was clean or looked good with a navy suit. If Biden wanted to endorse Trump, he wouldn't do it via a necktie. He’s a guy who has spent his entire life being "Joe from Scranton," a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat.
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The rumor that Biden voted for Trump is a classic example of how confirmation bias works in the digital age. If you already believe that the Democratic party is in shambles and that Biden is angry, you’ll see a red tie as "proof." If you don't believe that, you just see a guy in a suit.
How to Spot Political Disinformation Yourself
This isn't the last time we'll see a rumor like this. As we head into the next election cycles, "did [Candidate X] secretly support [Candidate Y]?" will be a recurring theme. Here is how you can stay sane:
- Check the source of the "symbolism": Is the only "evidence" a color or a hand gesture? That's usually a sign of a weak theory.
- Look at the track record: Does the secret action align with their public life? A person's actions over 50 years usually count for more than a single outfit on a Tuesday.
- Verify with non-partisan sources: Groups like the Campaign Legal Center emphasize that ballot secrecy is a cornerstone of democracy. No one has "insider info" on a private vote.
If you’re still curious about how the 2024 election shook out, look at the actual data. The Pew Research Center found that 85% of Biden’s 2020 voters turned out to vote in 2024. Most of them stayed blue, but a significant chunk of men and Hispanic voters did switch to Trump. That's the real story—not a secret vote from the President himself.
To get a clearer picture of the 2024 results, you can check out the official certified tallies from the Federal Election Commission or deep-dive into the exit polling data from major news networks to see where the vote actually shifted.
Next Steps for You:
- Verify the official 2024 election results through the Federal Election Commission (FEC) website to see the popular vote breakdown.
- Read the full transcript of President Biden’s Rose Garden speech from November 7, 2024, to understand his official stance on the election outcome.
- Research voter secrecy laws in Delaware to see exactly why it is impossible for anyone to legally prove how the President voted.