Charlamagne tha God didn’t hold back his confusion on Thursday morning’s broadcast, questioning President Joe Biden’s seemingly rapid shift from denouncing Donald Trump as a “fascist” and an “existential threat” to democracy to welcoming him for a cordial, post-election White House meeting.

The popular radio host’s candid reaction captured a sentiment that many Americans may be feeling: How does the narrative flip from “threat to democracy” to polite political formality, and what does that say about the true motivations behind these statements?

Charlamagne opened his critique by pointing out that Biden, his party, and numerous media pundits had spent months painting Trump as a uniquely dangerous figure, likening him to a modern-day authoritarian and claiming his return would unravel the fabric of American democracy.

“I just don’t understand the White House visit,” Charlamagne said. “Granted, I’m glad there’s a peaceful transition of power, but what happened to the threat of democracy talk? What happened to the fascist talk?” His bewilderment was evident, highlighting the odd contrast between the Democrats’ pre-election warnings and Biden’s cordial post-election behavior.

Charlamagne on Biden welcoming Trump to White House: “What happened to the threat of democracy talk? What happened to the fascist talk? … I’m just trying to figure out, how do you go from, ‘He’s an existential threat to democracy’ to ‘Welcome back’?”@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/b8a9jfvhGJ

— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) November 14, 2024

Charlamagne even acknowledged that he, too, had voiced concerns about Trump’s impact on democracy, but he stressed a key difference: when political leaders make these claims, they carry a much greater weight. “When they say it, it holds way more weight than me,” he continued, signaling a frustration with what appears to be political theater. “I’m just trying to figure out, how do you go from ‘He’s an existential threat to democracy’ to ‘Welcome back’?”

DJ Envy, Charlamagne’s cohost, joined in, noting that Biden’s demeanor during the meeting was more than just polite—he was “cheesing” for the cameras, looking every bit the welcoming host. This led Charlamagne to an observation he had voiced earlier: the abrupt shift in tone from prominent Democrats since Trump’s win.

Just last week, he’d commented on the irony of Democratic leaders suddenly dropping the “threat to democracy” rhetoric after Trump’s decisive victory. “Don’t y’all find it strange that now that he’s won, they’re not calling him a threat to democracy?” he’d asked. “I mean, damn, on Monday, they was just calling him that.”

The deeper question here, as Charlamagne pointed out, is whether these accusations were ever meant to be taken literally or whether they were simply political weapons, sharpened and wielded for campaign season. By suggesting that maybe these statements were “just politics,” Charlamagne brought to light a common frustration among voters: the feeling that politicians are more concerned with messaging than with genuine conviction. How else, he reasoned, could Biden and his party so easily pivot from full-scale condemnation to post-election politeness?

The segment ended on a humorous yet poignant note, with Charlamagne throwing up his hands in exasperation, saying, “I’m gonna stop minding white people’s business.” His comment underscored a sense of disillusionment not only with the back-and-forth of political rhetoric but with the calculated maneuvering that seems to ignore the very issues that affect Americans’ everyday lives.