For his inauguration, Joe Biden wore a nice suit, a nice coat and leather gloves. I didn’t pay any attention to his watch, because I rarely notice men’s watches anyway. Before this weekend, if you asked me if I thought Joe Biden owned at least one really nice, expensive watch, I would have said “yes, probably.” He’s old and he’s worked hard a long time and he’s from the generation of men who appreciated fine craftsmanship in all things, especially stuff like cars and watches and clothes. Of course he owns some nice stuff. But the issue of “Joe Biden’s watch” became a headline this weekend because of this story:
President Biden may cast his arrival in the White House as a return to business as usual at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but there’s at least one way he’s breaking from prevailing presidential tradition: he wears a Rolex.
At his inauguration, Mr. Biden laid his hand on the family Bible wearing a stainless steel Rolex Datejust watch with a blue dial, a model that retails for more than $7,000 and is a far cry from the Everyman timepieces that every president not named Trump has worn conspicuously in recent decades.
To many, a president wearing a luxury watch might not seem unusual. Shouldn’t the leader of the free world wear a power watch befitting his position? (Never mind that it costs the equivalent of dozen or so stimulus checks.) That concept was widely accepted once, back when Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson posed guiltlessly for Oval Office portraits wearing gold Rolexes. Not for nothing is Rolex’s storied gold Day-Date model known as the “President.”
The piece goes on to point out that Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both favored cheap watches and Obama favored Shinola or Jorg Gray watches, usually pieces which cost less than $500. Yeah… I think men and women should be authentic to who they are and what they like. If a public servant is a sneakerhead, so be it and good for him. If the president enjoys a fine timepiece, God bless. I find it disgusting that we expect someone like Biden to not have anything nice, or that we expect the wealthy people who run for office to play-act this patronizing idea of performative poverty. “Yes, I’m worth $600 million but I’m like you, I’m just wearing this humble flannel shirt and boots from Walmart.” And God help us all when they start listing what Kamala Harris’s clothes cost. I can already see the headlines about her Jimmy Choos.
Also: there’s some evidence that President Biden was wearing a Rolex which once belonged to his late son Beau Biden. Which would make sense, if President Biden made some quiet tributes to his beloved son.
It appears that the Rolex that Joe Biden wore to the inauguration used to belong to Beau. If this is true, the Biden family deserves a major apology from the New York Times. pic.twitter.com/HoNhJpxu6p
— United for the People (@people4kam) January 25, 2021
Oh my God, Biden has a Peloton and wears a Rolex. pic.twitter.com/3t4ARII3sV
— Saverio Guerra (@saverio825) January 22, 2021
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
I mean.. his 2019 AGI was $985k. Did NYT not look at his tax returns?
And like 3m and 11m the years before
That Rolex belonged to his son, Beau. He wore his beloved dead son’s watch to represent him on his Inauguration Day. The NYT is so full of crap to make this a thing after carrying tons of Trump BS over the last 4 years.
I have a Rolex too. It’ truly isn’t that big a deal. I hardly wear it as I prefer my iwatch. Trump incited an insurrection where 5 people died, one being a Capitol police officer. He plotted w/an asst. AG to overthrow a fair election. He attempted to get the GA SoS to commit fraud FOR HIM!! But hey, Biden wore a Rolex…the horrors.
I also have a vintage rolex, big deal. Anyone who likes jewelry or fine craftsmanship likes watches. Im happy for him that he has a few nice watches. He deserves it. I hope jill has one too.
Crapping all over Democrats for petty b.s. reasons like this is a long-standing feature of NYT’s preferred “but both sides” m.o. It’s gross, and it undermines all the real, informative investigative journalism they also manage to publish. They also employ and appeal to a lot of the kind of people who are constantly checking everybody’s visible status symbols and know the cost of watches, shoes, bags, etc., with uncanny accuracy, and assume everyone else is equally obsessed with classifying people this way.
Words cannot express how much I don’t care whether Biden owns and/or wears a fine watch (or a variety of them) that he inherited or bought with his own money. Like Mc says, he ain’t poor, and, unlike SOME presidents, we know that he’s been paying taxes.
I have been over the NYT for a while now, basically since the 2016 election. And I know people who work there. There are a lot of very good reporters and others making that paper but the people who make the big decisions, like what gets put on the front page, are a bunch of hypocrites. It makes my blood boil.
I will probably never own a timepiece that is over $500. It does not bother me if Biden had bought himself one though. If anyone has a problem with Joe because of his son’s watch but not the person who has a gold toilet, there is something wrong with them.
Let’s not forget Melania Trump walked out of the WH last week with a 70K Hermes bag. That is something to write about.
This.
He had a bestselling book a couple of years ago and a lot of the money came from his book deal.
While he was in office Biden was the least wealthiest (or one of) members of Congress. The Bidens didn’t even have the money to pay for Beau Biden’s cancer treatments and surgeries until Barack Obama lent him money.
If anyone deserves a nice Rolex for all he’s been through in his life it is Joe Biden.
He also made some money in real estate, but in the normal, “buy a house, fix it up, sell it when the market is good” way.
He certainly does deserve it. And after Trump’s bloated, slovenly appearance it’s great to see Biden’s lean and clean style—no oversized navy suits and clownish long red ties. He has good taste and looks better than some men half his age. Biden can also wear casual clothes because, unlike Trump, he’s not trying to (unsuccessfully) hide his bulk with a suit coat.
As long as it’s not a FAKE Rolex, because that would be tacky. Like Donald Chump’s fake Renoir — the difference is, Chump didn’t know that painting was a fake and probably paid millions for it, like the Chump he is. He really was a terrible “business” man who obviously could be taken for a ride very easily.
What! LOL I had never heard this story. On my way to google it.
It’s a freakin’ Rolex, NOT the Patek Philippe that sold for $30 million at auction a couple of years ago!
What’s worse than the article’s point is the TONE — snide, snarky, “gotcha.”
I hate that. If you’re going to be b*tchy about it, be SURE your facts are right! Be sure it doesn’t turn out to be his beloved dead son’s watch!
Be sure you don’t look like an ahole.
This is the BS grey poupon “story” of the Biden presidency. The NY times is broken and I cancelled them after what they did to Hillary, and I will never give them my money again, never.
Yeah. It has to be one of the most disingenuous pieces of garbage I have seen in a long time. It honestly had to take real effort to come up with this spin. NYT clearly knows how to feed the outrage machine and it’s truly disgusting. I cancelled them years ago, too.
totally. this is what media have tried to do with AOC too. I think she wore a fancy suit for a magazine cover or something, or maybe got an expensive haircut? republicans, trumpers can freely wear D&G any time they want, but when a democrat or progressive does it, it’s “HYPOCRISY!!!” Such BS. Like, guess what you can be a democrat or progressive or socialist — you can believe in fair income taxes, that the wealthy pay their fare share — and buy whatever you want with your fairly-earned wages. It’s such a load of crock, and typical mainstream media holding the democrats to a way higher standard than republicans. Combined with the op-ed to Cotton this summer, plus just now firing Lauren Wolfe: the NYT is trash.
And yet the MAGATs hate the New York Times with a passion.
As for the Rolex, what about Donald effing Trump’s effing gold toilet, etc?!
There is a TONE that often seems “generational,” a young ambitious writer who goes off without all the facts.
I know it when I see it.
Don’t know if that’s the case here, but I know the tone.
I cancelled the NYT in 1999. Their obituary for someone I knew really well, loved, and admired contained inaccurate and mean spin. Really inappropriate, as if Hillary Clinton’s obit featured the nonsense about the D.C. pizza parlor as fact.
There were commercial reasons for the obit which involved someone’s book contract. A letter trying to correct the obit was signed by many major players. The NYT must have published it (I don’t remember) but, of course, the damage had been done.
Oh that’s interesting Tom, and I am sorry to hear of it. Yes they are really awful over there.
Just wait until he wears a tan suit.
How did you succeed in canceling them because that’s like my ongoing effort to cancel AT&T – impossible.
I cancelled them quite some time ago and never looked back. Every now and then, they remind me that I made a sound decision.
Right?! We watched as Trump’s wife did 4 years of high fashion with most outfits coming in at well over 5 grand. But sure, yeah, go on about a watch the 78 year old president wears after a life time of public service. A$$holes.
Melanias two engagement rings are valued at around $9 million. Trumps personal 757 plane was purchased for $50 million plus retrofitting.
And the NYT is talking about a watch??
Good for you.
S9ck of the double standards for Dems and Republicans
The NYT is broken. Did anyone else see the Twitter thread about the NYT report who was fired for tweeting that she had “chills” during the inauguration because a bunch of fascist complained? But Tom Cotton can write war-mongering op-eds??? Wtf????
Yep. Just awful stuff. People were already upset about the Rolex and Peloton stories and the Lauren Wolfe controversy/firing on top of that was the last straw.
The NYT employs reporters like Glenn Thrush who admitted to sexually harassing and stalking women, reporters like Andy Mills who has multiple sexual harassment allegations against him (including dumping beer over women’s heads and telling them they had no business being in media), and Michael Barbaro who is in charge of the NYT podcast The Daily and who helped fabricate a story of an alleged ISIS soldier (see the Caliphate controversy) and his Pulitzer was rescinded.
I can only imagine how terrible the morale in the NYT newsroom is right now. The fact that the paper won’t back you up against a fascist mob and assholes like Glenn Greenwald is what is truly chilling.
Depending on the version of Rolex he has, it’s totally within reach of even a middle class person to have one. It could also have been a gift. The fake outrage machine is already starting. Ugh.
I remember a time when you could buy a Rolex for around 3500 dollars. Many middle class people could afford that and a lot of them owned them. I don’t see the big deal. about the watch he is wearing. My eighty year old Aunt decided she wanted a brand new Lexus when the Lexus she was driving only had around 50k miles on it. She gave the old car to her daughter and bought herself a new one with cash. Her excuse was that she earned the money and she could spend it on whatever she wanted. I agree. As long as you are not reaching your hand in my pocket, buy what you want.
My boyfriend has several
Rolexes and he’s a firefighter. It’s not at all the prestige piece it used to be. As long as you’re careful and save, most of the middle class should be able to afford one.
(He actually might have sold the rolexes, he prefers Tags these days)
*shrugs* I don’t even break six break digits for my income, and I own several pairs of designer shoes. If you live in an affordable area, don’t have tons of debt, and have no children to support, you have lots of disposable income the average middle class person doesn’t have. You can easily save up and pay $7K for something really nice. Hell, I paid for half of my second bachelors degree out of pocket. It’s a total nonstory for a couple raking in several hundred thousand dollars with no mortgage or college debts to be able to splurge on nice stuff.
My dad bought one in 1980 when his first big corporate job sent him to Asia. The exchange rate was good and he treated himself. He’s worn it everyday since and cost per wear is probably tiny right now. Unbeknownst to him at the time, because he was a country boy, it was a special edition Rolex that is now a collector’s item. The New York Times would probably call him an “out of touch” “elite” when really he’s a decent hardworking man who just liked a watch. A lot like Joe Biden, probably.
Oh boy, when has Joe Biden pretended to be poor? The man surely can afford more than one Rolex, and I see absolutely no problem. Is there no difference between the New York Times and New York Post?
But but…he took Amtrak. He’s from Scranton. He’s gotta wear a Walmart brand watch, don’t you know.
Until he became VP, he was the Senator with the lowest incomes and almost sold his house to help pay for Beau’s medical bills but the Obamas lent him the money. Why he’s still not for universal health insurance considering this is infuriating, but owning a luxury watch even though he was broke at some point isn’t.
A few corrections: the Bidens considered selling their house to support beau’s family if he had to quit his job as attorney general due to cancer. It wasn’t because of medical bills. Obama offered money but Joe did not take any.
Biden is for universal health care. I am guessing by “universal health insurance” you mean M4A, which is not a popular option with the majority of Americans.
Who cares?!
He pays his taxes and won’t be using the presidency to make his businesses money. Let the man have a nice watch.
Exactly. We live in one of the most consumerist cultures on earth, too, so for anyone to comment on this is truly beyond ridiculous.
Yes, and it’s “just” a Rolex that most likely belonged to his late son. He’s not on the cover of Vogue eating diamonds.
It is possibly Beau’s watch he’s wearing.
If so, the author of the article should write a public apology.
I don’t know what info Jake Tapper has about the watch, but he tweeted that it’s not Beau’s watch.
https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1353704868901507081
Part of me is pleased that these are the ‘scandals’ we are now living with concerning your president.
A bigger part of me is very worried that this kind of nonsense and false equivalencies is what led to the last four years of living nightmares. Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences.
Yeah this is my only concern. They are back at it again with the false equivalencies and after a little while people will fall for it and forget the nightmare we will be digging our way out of for a long time to come.
Ugh. This article is gross. I literally don’t care that the man has a Rolex. Most politicians of that age are incredibly wealthy which we knew before he even ran for president. If this is his beloved, dead son’s watch on top of that…I can’t. The NYT should be ashamed- the man hasn’t even been in office for a week and I guess we’re back to tan suit level sandals.
A Rolex? Why couldn’t he just have a gold toilet like the rest of us plebs?
or a diet coke button? I mean, REALLY. let me clutch my pearls.
This is the sort of story I point to when I hear someone say “mainstream media has a liberal bias.” I point and I say, “Bull.” You would never see the MSM engage in such ridiculous nitpicking of a Republican President.
I have to laugh a little bit that the DRAMA of this president is that he rides a Peloton and wears a Rolex. MORE TAN SUIT DRAMA PLEASE. I’d take that over the actual terror of the Trump headlines I woke up to every day for four freaking years.
But if that’s Beau’s watch–they really need to leave him alone with this stuff. While none of these dumb headlines bother me, I’m already solidly in the Biden camp. There’s a lot of folks out there that are on the fence, maybe voted for Trump, maybe are just waiting for Biden to take a misstep. We have to care for his image while people are learning to trust him, if you ask me.
I don’t think he needs to change a blessed thing. He’s been a politician a long time, and I have no worry he’s going to do a great job. The media has a responsibility here. I am a journalist as well, and I’m calling out my people. Do better y’all. This is false equivalency and it needs to stop.
Can we cancel the New York Times? I don’t know how many white guys and Karens are on staff, but there are WAY too many of these clickbait/hit-piece stories that we don’t care about and add NOTHING to the political discourse of our country. First Peloton, and now this.
I hope that watch is Beau’s and whoever wrote this article is fired for the disrespect. Write something worthy of being printed on that paper or published online. I’d be so ashamed to have a byline on this drivel.
Well they’re down one Karen after Barri Weiss flounced out of the room because he coworkers correctly dissed her out as an attention seeking hypocrite.
Wow! What a non story and non issue! Next….
This is ridiculous and sad.
Meanwhile, in far more important news, Champ and Major Biden arrived at the White House yesterday! I excitedly await news of the arrival of First Kitty.
Far more important news indeed. I saw Jen Psaki answer a question about First Kitty and while she had no info she recognized that its arrival will be a very big deal to a lot of people, lol.
Yay!! Dohgz in the WH y’all! And a kitty too. Far more important news, indeed. Has everyone seen the “happy happy dog” video on tiktok? I got it first thing this morning and it made my entire day. I’ll bet this is how Champ and Major feel finally seeing their humans again.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJKThB5V/
I read on Twitter that the Rolex may have possibly belonged to his late son, Beau.
Either way, who the f@ck cares???
Mmmmm yes. A nice watch purchased with one’s own money is equivalent, no – FAR WORSE, than having taxpayers spend $140 million on endless golf, payable to one’s own golf courses.
I was actually embarrassed for the NYT for this story. Who CARES if he wears a Rolex. Lots of people like nice watches – hell I told my husband this weekend I want a Cartier tank watch for our 20th anniversary (Meghan has inspired me what can I say). He has 6 years to plan lol.
Anyway, of all the things to spend money on – a nice watch can be worth it and can last you a lifetime. Let the man wear his Rolex.
And IF it was Beau’s – that’s sentimental and sweet but the article is ridiculous even without that being the case.
I’ve been pretty disgusted by many of the news stories over the past week. The press is giving the Rs too much air time and I’m not seeing enough pushback on people like Cruz and Rubio.
After the four years of absolute hell we just went through, I can’t accept ridiculous criticism like this of a decent, good leader. Yes, he’s wealthy. Most lifelong politicians are. But you don’t even need to be wealthy to own a nice watch – my dad is solidly middle class and loves watches, so my mom saves up and sometimes gets him a special one for Christmas or his birthday. He doesn’t own a Rolex, but he has two that are a couple thousand. Investment pieces like this could be a gift, a family piece, the result of saving, or just something he freaking wanted and could afford. Who the hell cares?
Question from a Canadian: I subscribe to the NYT because I like their features amd getting a relatively intelligent take on US news. I don’t read it every day though so I miss things like Joe Cotton or whatever and the Rolex article.
Question: what is a more reputable alternative then?
The Washington Post definitely!
Yes. I switched to the WaPo after I dropped the NYT and I love it. So much in-depth coverage of politics, Covid and other news but good other stuff too.
I like the Post a lot and started subscribing to it last year. I don’t agree with everything they write (and they are owned by Jeff Bezos) but they are miles better than the NYT.
The Post isn’t writing BS like this of firing reporters for innocent tweets.
Despite having Thiessen, JJ and Olsen in their editorial pages, yeah, it’s definitely great. But I haven’t read anything from Thiessen that doesn’t make me want to throw a shoe at my laptop
I also switched to WAPO, and IMO it’s so much better than the times.
I subscribe to both NYT and Washington Post. I’m not giving up NYT. No matter some flaws, they have some really great journalism and in-depth articles in it.
No matter some flaws….I’ve heard that Brietbart have some good journalists & in-depth articles too.
@MM2, LOL Dream on Not even in the ballpark.
I prefer WaPo, but I will say be aware Jeff Bezos owns it. You won’t be surprised then when anti-progressive or anti-tax pieces come out in it, which they certainly do occasionally.
Thanks. I like WaPo as well but due to paywall haven’t read it as much. Will think about subscribing.
To the comparison of NYT and Breitbart – I disagree. NYT’s long form features have excellent, in depth reporting and the news section is still news, weird editorials aside.
As they say, it is best to get your news from a variety of sources and the only way to have news 100% free of bias is to read primary sources like Reuters.
NPR! I also like the very thoughtful takes of Vox and the Atlantic.
I second The Atlantic & Vox. The New Yorker online also has daily news updates.
I saw a ‘what the NYT headlines should have been’ on twitter and it was something like ‘Joe Biden saves American taxpayers $140,000,000 by riding a pelaton instead of playing golf at his own private club every weekend and he always knows what time it is.’
Also, all this over a $7,000 rolex? I had assumed it was at least one of those tens of thousands of dollars rolexes. I didn’t even realize rolex made a watch that was under $10k.
My grandfather was born in a poor family of farmers in 1937 in Korea during the Japanese occupation. When he turned 13, he could no longer afford school and started working in a plastic factory. He started out doing janitorial / menial work but by the time he got married and started his own family he became a manager. In the 80s he started his own small business which was successful enough to send all of his four children to college. In the early 90s, he was invited to an industry convention in Chicago and during this trip (his first time in the US) he bought a gold Rolex datejust, which was his first (and to this day last) piece of luxury item he bought for himself. He turned 83 recently but he still goes to work every day. He taught me frugality and generosity- he never bought anything fancy for himself (other than the Rolex) but would ALWAYS give at least $10 to homeless people.
I just wanted to share this story because (i) Rolex always reminds me of him and (ii) watches are not necessarily sign of vanity- many of them have special meaning and stories to their owners!
Pinggu: that story warned my heart. Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful story.
I love this story. Thanks for sharing it.
Reminds me of my grandfather who started farming in the 30’s and wore the same Rolex oyster until he sold the farm in the 70’s. My husband is a 10th generation farmer and as long as I’ve known him he farms with a Rolex on because it’s “just another tool” to him. They are the only watches that withstand the work he does.
Meanwhile my daily watch Is the day-date gold President, sure it’s a bit gauche,
and -look at me- because it is THE MOST comfortable, durable watch I’ve ever owned.
Shameless plug: If anyone is curious I have an auction going on eBay for my dressier smaller President.
At least he won’t be late to meetings all the time unlike someone.
I gifted myself a nice grown-up watch for my 35th bday, it was in the very low 4 figures. I make good money but I did have to save up. My cheap ones kept breaking and it was an investment so that I didn’t have to buy a new one every 2 years. I’m not a fan of status symbols but now and again I get a piece that will hopefully last a long time. So if the President is wearing a nice watch for around 7k,that is a non-story. What the hell, NYT? Get it together! And if it’s indeed the watch of his late son, shame on you!
The NYT is full it. They get fooled by the humble and modest billionaire Mark Zuckerberg wearing a gray cotton shirt, all the while he’s trying to force people off their land in Hawaii.
And those t-shirts cost like $500 a pop.
Trump literally has GOLD TOILETS but yea, let’s lose our minds over a career politician wearing a nice watch that belonged to his now-deceased son.
Trump literally paid off stormy Daniels but oh noes a Rolex! A man that works in a professional office full time wearing a reliable timepiece that you can get a Macy’s!
Oh nooooeeeessss! *eye roll*
@Scal, this is really the only comment needed!
Joe is a well documented Omega watch guy! GQ had a previous trash article on how Trump was a gold Rolex guy and Joe is the steel moonwatch type.
They are already calculating how much the inauguration outfits are – it is a double standard I really despise
“They are already calculating how much the inauguration outfits are – it is a double standard I really despise”
Ugh. I watched the final 2016 debate with someone who (I learned that night) was a Trump supporter. She told me with disgust how much Hillary Clinton’s suit cost multiple times that night. I’m no longer in touch with her, so I can’t say if she’s been equally scandalized by the cost of any of the Trumps’ clothes, but I suspect she’s only recently re-started to view clothing cost as scandal-worthy.
I want to know exactly how much people think goes into professional tailoring, especially the kind high profile figures need for professional business dress. That shit is expensive, especially if you don’t have a model’s build. Sure, you can avoid buying couture, but it’s usually the higher quality stuff that lasts longer, so if you have the money, why wouldn’t you invest? Work done by a skilled tailor can easily run you hundreds if not thousands of dollars, and that’s completely fair because that’s skilled labor that deserves to be reimbursed. The price tag is always going to be expensive. Mindblowing, really. Americans out here really thinking foreign sweatshops and prison slave labor reflects real work value pricing.
@Veronica, did you see the segment on CBS Sunday morning yesterday about the only female master tailor on Savile Row? It was fascinating, and they also profiled another Savile Row company, owned by women, and also making bespoke suits, but mostly for women. It went on to profile the impact covid has had on fabric companies, embroidery companies, and all other manufacturing who supply the big European fashion houses. A bespoke Savile Row suit starts at around $7,000, but when you see the workmanship, all hand sewn, and perfectly fitted, you understand why these artists – because to me that’s what they are – ask such high prices for their garments. If President Biden has a Rolex watch, or a bespoke suit, so what. He earned them.
I mean even MY family has a Rolex in it. Sure we are generally lower income otherwise, but my Grandma had exquisite taste and invested money that she worked LONG and HARD for, on good things, that could be passed down- on purpose.
So My mom has a Rolex and maybe one day me too.
SO everybody conservative gotta call the fashion police about it??
I understand people are majorly hurting in the crisis now, but this is someone far more hard working and modest than Mr Spray Tan Golf McGolfertons was. It’s not like he deliberately embezzled his voters for his own wealth like SOMEBODY DOES… think of it, donating money to that guy’s “charities” and then his wife goes and buys the UGLIEST gown ever (Melanias pick).
THAT is the real upset.
So? He’s allowed to have nice things.
Has anyone ever read the blog Cup of Jo? I think her husband Alex wrote this story. Wtf, man?
Yep, I noticed that as well!
Silly. Many people have nice heirloom quality watches. We don’t have a lot, but my husband has his Uncle’s vintage Rolex.
I’m more interested in the bracelet peeking out from behind the watch. I saw it when he was signing executive orders on day two. Anyone else? Any info about that?
Prayers for peace in the new administration.
I didn’t see it but was it beaded? He always has Beau’s rosary beads with him and sometimes he wraps them around his wrist like a bracelet. He did that during the debates.
I recall reading that Beau was one of the reason he decided to run for the Presidency again this time and why he choose Kamala as his VP (Beau knew her and apparently was full of praise for her). Beau was also touted as a future presidential candidate.
Beau was truly an amazing man.
I don’t know much about Beau other than he was an AG and Joe’s eldest son. We know more about Hunter, who seems to have got his life back on track.
Melania Trump literally exited the WH in
D&G jacket – couture @$3,500
Chanel skirt – couture @$2,500
Louboutin heels – $900
Hermes Croco Handbag – $40,000
Jewelry / watch – undisclosed
And we are talking about a $8,000 Rolex which belonged to his dead son whom he wanted present on one of the greatest days of his life.
And even if he bought it SO FUKKING WHAT. The Reps do not have the monopoly on wealth.
In other news thank god we’re back to talking about tanned suits and Rolex’s.
And that was just to walk from the house to the helicopter. She changed clothes in the plane for a 20 second walk down the stairs to the car.
So add
Gucci dress-$3,700
Roger vivier flats $700
The suit Biden was wearing is easily 8-10K on its own, but you also expect somebody in an office of power to dress for the role. Men’s power suits are just inherently expensive because they have to be custom fitted. He has to put money into his wardrobe, just as we wouldn’t have accepted Melania dressing poorly and should have been more critical of Trump’s ill-fitting suits. The problem is the NYT pretending that anybody can get to the position of POTUS without wealth in this country. Like, c’mon. You want to criticize the system, fine, but don’t pretend it isn’t set up that way on purpose for economic elites to rule.
And she took it all off on the plane.
RIGHT. Melania’s handbags are above the poverty line.
The price of that bag floored me. I know Hermes is sky high in their prices, but…damn!! 40K for one bag. And you know that’s just one of many she has. Unbelievable.
The bag Melania was carrying on her departure from the White House was a Crocodile Hermes Birkin worth $75,000 with appreciation. The histrionics and tu quoque is getting old.
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/01/melania-trump-birkin-bag-funeral-black
@Juniper – $75k – Okay that is insane.
I quoted $40k as my BBC friend who lives in Hong Kong regularly comes to the UK for work and buys LV, Chanel, Hermes etc when she is here. She then sells them onto the super rich in HK for a 10-30% mark-up.
I’ve seen her pay about 40k for the Hermes Birkin Croco (as they’re affectionately referred to in France) after a lot of waiting and negotiating with her fave salesperson and that was only after one of his ‘regulars’ pulled out so it was a huge coup for her. I know she made a healthy profit on that bag which she sold to a colleague from mainland China.
But yep $75k is an insane amount for a bag, granted it’s the ultimate status symbol and will hold it’s value, but for that money I’d rather fill my apartment with original art I can enjoy for years to come.
This is giving me Tan Suit/ Grey Poupon “scandal” vibes. Canceling my NYT subscription back in 2016 continues to be one of the best things I’ve done. Like how is this an issue? Honestly, I would expect any politician, especially one that’s older, to have a nice watch. A Rolex is an investment piece and can be passed down. And if this is Beau’s watch, the NYT needs to apologize.
It’s so refreshing that this is a scandal! What next, a tan suit?! I’m giddy with normalcy
For the nearly entire time he was in the Senate, Biden was the member with the lowest income (yes – even Bernie was considered wealthier, I believe he owned 2 homes at the time.) His final year his net worth was between 300,00 – 400,000 and it included the 1 house in Delaware they owned and Dr. Biden’s salary. After he was VP, he wrote the books about his life and Beau’s that led to their income going up. He’s also clearly supporting the majority of that family – beau’s children, hunter’s older daughters, etc. And, less than a million dollars last year probably still puts him in like lower half of senators and presidents not names Carter or Clinton when they took office. The amount of money in the Senate is astronomical. Some of the total jerks you see in flannel and fake accents on Fox News are worth 50, 60 million dollars.
I think they’re trying to link the Rolex to Hunter.
Hunter is the main money maker in the family and has a much higher net worth than his parents.
So they’re effectively looking for an in-road to do a fishing expedition on Hunter.
I thought Hunter was broke – blew through a lot of money on drugs and hookers. His now ex-wife spilled a lot of tea during their divorce and from what I can recall they were struggling financially at one point because of his addictions and lifestyle. I think now Hunter has turned his life around he’s likely in a better financial situation given his profession as a hedge fund manager.
Kelly loeffler is worth $800 million and she was trotting around with her trucker hat and flannel and she was barely criticized for that hypocrisy.
Joe wearing a Rolex at almost 80 is not a big deal. As stated by others, many people save up to get a nice watch that they wear for decades and pass down to others. If this watch did belong to Beau, the NYT needs to apologize though. This faux both sides crap always means that Dems and progressives are criticized more than the GOP who are worth millions and always pretend they are for the little guy. Just the simple fact that Joe had to contemplate selling his house to pay for Beau’s treatment tells you that this man is not living in the lap of luxury.
How about the NYT focus on the grift that has been extended for the mango mafia family with full secret service for all of them for another six months. That will cost taxpayers millions form a family that claims to be rich.
This is what I have been dreading…the inevitable clickbait culture of modern media and journalism. Gotta have a storyline that gets people fired up. Why not just stick to the executive orders and policies of the last week? There have been a lot. I don’t care what kind of watch he wears, do you?
I’m a journalist, and this is objectively lacking journalistic integrity to not even ask about the source of the watch. I wouldn’t expect them to know it belonged to Beau. But when they’re writing an entire story on something, it is their job to ask the topic. Literally rule number one. I have a feeling a Biden source would tell them, even off the record, that it was Beau’s. Then it doesn’t even matter what kind of watch it was – he’d probably wear it if it cost $100. Still, there’s nothing wrong with a president wearing an expensive watch. And I’d say the same thing if a Republican was in office.
I grew up in Illinois. A few years ago when Republican Bruce Rauner ran for governor (& won), he wore Carhartt vests and said in ads that he still drives an old truck. Bruce Rauner is a BILLIONAIRE. If that wasn’t true, he’s lying to get a vote. If it was true, I think he’s an idiot for not spending some of his billions of dollars. Would you drive a 30-year-old car if you were a billionaire?!
He probably drives that car and owns 20 more. He may keep it as a reminder of where he started. Warren Buffett still lives in the Omaha, Nebraska, home he bought in 1958 for $31,000. Not all wealthy people spend their money on expensive toys or homes.
Which is also not much better because it means they’re hoarding it instead of putting it back into the economy, hence why tax reform is necessary. The ultra-wealthy are bleeding this country dry.
Not true in the case of Warren Buffett, who said sometime back he would be giving away 99% of his fortune. He and Bill Gates established the Giving Pledge ten years ago for like minded ultra wealthy individuals. Buffett has given away several billion dollars each year; his money goes primarily to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, which focuses on global health, education, etc. Mackenzie Scott has also signed on; in 2020, she donated $4 billion to almost 400 diverse organizations, including substantial donations to several HBCUs.
Also, both Buffett and Gates have said the wealthy should be paying higher taxes.
I dont even care if he went and bought the watch an hour before the Inauguration- it is HIS money. He didn’t take $7K from me to buy it, he either earned the money to buy it or it’s Beau’s watch. And why the eff are they throwing in “stimulus checks”? (I mean I know why) Biden had NOTHING to do with the amount of stimulus money we got, as he was oh let’s see… not an elected official at the time. I’m surprised they didn’t bring up that we haven’t gotten our $2k stimulus checks yet.
Why can’t members of the press (I use that term loosely) leave him alone… There is actually a competent adult running our country, who has done more incredible things in the past five days than the 45th “President” ever did the whole time while in office! *Cancels NYT subscription*
Now I want President Biden to wear two Rolex watches, one on each wrist. *eyeroll* They also criticize AOC when she wears nice clothes. Wanting everyone in America to be able to live above poverty line doesn’t mean that those advocating for it have to personally give up their own money and not have nice things. Government officials make relatively good money and can afford some nice things. Why is this a problem? They can’t buy a jet, but surely they can afford a nice watch and some designer clothes. Ugh.
I’m confused. Do Americans want to elect people who are so rich they sit on golden toilets or men (because $=success) or people who, after decades of public service, still aren’t able to afford a nice watch?
It is confusing! Republicans can have nice things because they worked hard for them, but Democrats may not. Because…reasons. 😜
This reminds me of when AOC was criticized for buying herself some professional clothing after she was elected. It was raised as some sort of proof she wasn’t working class like she’d said she was. At the same time, if she’d shown up dressed like a bartender, she’d have been criticized as well.
Well, you know, Democrats are wealthy elites who can’t understand the little man, but AOC is an idiot for being working class before she became a House Rep. Whatever spin you can put on the narrative to make them look like the enemy works.
It’s bolstering the narrative that Democrats are secretly all Socialists. And Socialists, of course, are Scary because they are coming to take your hard-earned money away (probably along with your guns.) A story like this paints Joe as a hypocrite, but he’s only a hypocrite if he wants us all to be equally poor. The NYT says he’s a hypocrite! So he must secretly want to deprive the rest of us of the ability to someday wear a Rolex! It’s a typical conservative subliminal scare tactic, and it’s disgusting.
As somebody pointed out above, articles like this are creating a sense of false equivalency between Biden owning a Peleton and a nice watch and Trump creating an armed insurrection to overthrow the government.
Both sides = gaslighting
I see President Biden is getting the Duchess of Sussex treatment. (Sigh).
That’s exactly what I thought when I saw this. God forbid either of them have nice things! The horror!
Just think if Joe had worn a Rolex AND a tan suit? MAGAts heads would have exploded!
I think President Biden should give his next briefing wearing a tan suit while riding his Peloton and wearing every watch he owns.
The real scandal is Trump refused to do his job with COVID and now people are dying in masses thanks to him. Let’s not take away from what really matters.
I think the newspapers are already missing the Trump drama and are trying to stir sh$t up for no good reason.
That “(Never mind that it costs the equivalent of dozen or so stimulus checks.)” part is so snarky and obvious. Like ok so now we’re measuring everything we own by how many stimulus checks it takes to pay for it? I guess we all have to hide our engagement rings and, like, any car that works? Oh…there goes Representative Smith (D-Nev) in his 2018 Toyota Corolla (a model, we might add, that retails for 10 stimulus checks). We can’t help but wonder if he’s able to make socially responsible policies from up there in his ivory tower. He must be so out of touch.
Agree, it’s obnoxious. The president is supposed to get rid of his belongings to accumulated over a lifetime to provide for stimulus checks? He’s not FLAUNTING wealth for crying out loud. People are ready to criticize the man over anything.
Honestly it’s refreshing to have a presidential scandal that doesn’t endanger a group of people
$7,000 is not even an expensive Rolex. I also feel super happy that this is the kind of “scandal” that we’re back to. Joe Biden has nice watch! Maybe he will even wear a tan suit?
LOL yes, that’s the “entry-level” Rolex. It’s the one all the junior brokers get when they pass the Series 7.
President Biden is a man of means, it’s not unusual for a man like him to have a really nice watch. But it was okay for us taxpayers to spend $115 million on Trump’s golf outings? The NYT is being beyond petty.
I canceled The NY Times 3 years ago and switched to the Washington Post. Have never regretted the choice exactly because of garbage like this. I also think it’s funny that a 7 grand Rolex would cause such a flap. As powerful men’s luxury timepieces go, that’s a starter watch, “Junior day trader who still drives in from Jersey” league. As I said on Twitter, let’s take up a collection to get him a high end Patek Philippe just to say thank you!
I’d be happy to throw in some of my low-fixed-income retiree dollars for that!
My husband has a few nice watches which made me crazy at first, (I am really hard on watches somehow, always scratching the face plates) but they are his one indulgence. And he takes care of them, so this story makes no sense to me. Oh, no, dude got a gift/treated himself for the presidency. Or he is wearing something that makes him feel close to his deceased son. Either way, this is a really pathetic story and I can’t believe an editor ok’ed it.
By 78 years old we should all have some nice jewelry. Treat yourself!
And yes, this appears to be a family heirloom that belonged to his deceased son so what of it? Quit police people’s clothes. It was his big day he can wear what ever he chooses.
If people cannot accept the facts and grow the f up and understand that most of our politicians are fairly wealthy they need help. It’s not a question of a Rolex or a piece of property they own. It’s a question of how well they handle being in the position WE put them in with our votes.
That’s hysterical. Considering his predecessor.
They have people dying from a pandemic but no no, don’t look there, let’s critique the President’s watch. Incredible.
“Happy Days are here again! The skies above are clear again.”
Yes you know it’s so when the biggest political “scandal” of the day is a man wearing his deceased son’s Rolex to honor his memory at a day he’s worked his whole career to achieve.
Hallelujah! I’ve waited four long years for this glorious day!
Congratulations Joe and Kamala. Don’t let the bastids get ya down!
Maybe the NYT should have kept their opinions about “who wore what” on January 20 to Melania’s departing outfit. Was that a $50K Birkin bag or not?
Vanity Fair tags it at $75,000 at its appreciated value.
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/01/melania-trump-birkin-bag-funeral-black
I own a Rolex of similar value, with diamonds around the face, and it gives me daily anxiety to own something this expensive… but I also can’t bring myself to sell it, because this is the only thing my grandma wanted me to have after she died. I wouldn’t buy myself a $70 watch let alone a $7k watch, and I’d only wear it for really special occasions… but at the same time, I probably wouldn’t wear it to take leadership of a country full of broke & suffering people, tbh. I still can’t really hate on him for only thinking about the emotional significance.
Go to First Dog of the United States (FDOTUS) on instagram. They are trolling NYT with hilarious watch posts. I feel like they are the outlet for all the ridiculousness that Biden wants to comment on, but can’t.
Wow, they just dig for the dumbest stuff when there’s no scandal.
I hope President Biden trolls the everloving crap out of them. Wears a tan suit at least once a week. A GIANT TUB OF DIJON MUSTARD, right next to the bust of Chavez.
“Why does the President have a tub of Dijon mustard in the Oval Office?”
“The President likes Dijon mustard in particular, and this is part of our ongoing commitment to be fully transparent with the American people.”
Suck it, NYT.
As far as I’m concerned, the NYT’s owes Joe an apology. So after four long years of Trump’s lavish spending on our dime, Joe wearing a watch is all they can come up with?
Ridiculous.
He’s got a nice watch and the word is it used to belong to his son Beau.
I’m working class and I own a stainless steel Apple Watch that cost me $850 because it’s cellular. Bought it to keep my heart rate in check and in case of an emergency if my phone is not available I can use it to call 911. People should be allowed to have nice things, even when the republicans don’t believe we should have nice things because they consider the working class to be “poor and unworthy” of such things.
I switched to WaPo & never looked back. I work for a university medical school so i get an educational discount to WAPo & Amazon.
He wore his best stuff for what is likely one of, or the most, important days of his life to show respect. Just like people wear their best clothes, shoes, coats, hats, and jewelry to church, weddings, funerals, and job interviews. Some people pay $7,000+ for a wedding gown they will only wear once for less than 8 hours. A watch is a tool, a piece of equipment, that serves a practical purpose other than just “it looks pretty and makes me look pretty,” and he can wear it every single day of his life if he wants to, and then his children and grandchildren can wear it every single day of their lives, too. Would the NYT prefer the President to show up at the Inauguration in the same clothes that he uses to change his car’s oil because that’s a more “relatable, blue collar, going to grab a beer with the Everyman” look? A $7k watch seems like a proportionally appropriate level of respectful dress clothing for someone of his net worth.
This eleventy billion times. It seems they wouldn’t be happy no matter what. Like, he just won the biggest job competition in his country, and showed up dressed in his best. Get the hell over it.
OMG we’ve already had this kind of “controversy” involving a president!! This reminds me of when Nicolas Sarkozy was criticized for wearing a Rolex when he was president of France. He was president during the recession (2007-2012) and a friend of Sarkozy said (so NOT Sarkozy himself and I’m assuming the friend was being tongue in cheek) that if you didn’t own a Rolex by the time you were 50, you had failed at life. You can imagine the memes and media field day that followed. In France, it is considered very taboo to flaunt your wealth or to even display a semblance of wealth. There aren’t a whole lot of English language articles about that stupid story and I HATE linking to the DM but here it is if you’d like to relive those 5 minutes of stupidity: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1151060/Youre-failure-dont-Rolex-time-youre-50-claims-Nicolas-Sarkozys-best-friend.html
This was supposed to be on Elizabee’s thread.
I read most left and right leaning publications, and of course, those close to center. I can’t be expected to be fully informed unless I ingest as much as I can handle. Obviously NYT, WaPo, Guardian, Politico, NPR, Time, MSNBC, Newsweek, PBS, Huffpo, and others all relatively lie in the same general area on the political scale. I tend to read Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Pew Research, Poynter, The Economist, etc. I like their presentation.
If I’m expected to believe a thing is true, it should read professionally and with intelligence. Something from The Blaze or a certain reporter on MSNBC ruins topics, and I switch off immediately. I swear I’m not being a snob, a news snob or whatever, I simply want respect. And I don’t want to wrestle with the truth. If you want me to read your articles, don’t sales pitch me. I don’t like it. And for heaven’s sake, don’t imagine I can’t read between lines, draw parallels, compare and contrast, or be lead across lines by a leash. It’ll never happen. This is why Salon lost me a long time ago. Also, someone needs to show their writers how to spell and grammar check before submission.
And my family wonders why I won’t subscribe to the NYT. Don’t need this BS.
7000 for a Rolex? I bet each of Melania’s coats cost that much. But right, so happy we’re back to bitching about stuff like that and not yet another outrageous hate-filled dumb ass comment from a president.
Crap like this and “let’s try to understand these racist, redneck Trump supporters” is why I no longer subscribe to the NYT.
Everything the US has going on and they focus on this, sad. That man deserves to wear whatever the heck he wants to, and its not even one of the expensive ones.