New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted an attack on Joe Biden Wednesday with a reference to the Robert Louis Stevenson novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but he wound up complimenting the 2020 frontrunner instead.
Biden is taking heat from pro-choice groups and other figures on the left after revealing he still supports the Hyde Amendment, which disallows federal funding for most abortions. De Blasio said whoever ends up winning the Democratic nomination should support repealing it.
He linked on Twitter to a separate attack on Biden by pro-choice group NARAL, which accused Biden of supporting "discrimination against poor women and women of color plain and simple."
"The Hyde Amendment only hurts low income women, especially women of color," de Blasio wrote. "If you don't support repeal, you shouldn't be the Democratic nominee."
"And when it comes to supporting American women on issues like repealing the Hyde Amendment, @JoeBiden is Dr. Jekyll."
And when it comes to supporting American women on issues like repealing the Hyde Amendment, @JoeBiden is Dr. Jekyll.
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) June 5, 2019
However, it is Dr. Jekyll, not Mr. Hyde, who is the protagonist of the story. Mr. Hyde is the villainous, beastly alter ego Jekyll unwillingly transforms into. Some Twitters users, as they are wont to do, pointed this out to His Honor.
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/1136341218365968387
Dr. Jekyll was the good guy.
— KH-19 (@labboypro) June 5, 2019
How are you so bad at this?
— CJ Ciaramella (@cjciaramella) June 5, 2019
De Blasio, the 23rd or 24th Democratic presidential candidate depending on the count, has made no headway in the polls and had the distinction of being the most-disliked one in the field. His decision to enter the field was met with derision from New Yorkers and state politicians.
Biden supports abortion rights, but he says he personally opposes the practice due to his Roman Catholic faith. He told voters in New Hampshire this week that he backed Roe v. Wade as the "law of the land" and would push legislation to legalize abortion if the Supreme Court overturned the decision. He also told NBC News he would be open to repealing the Hyde Amendment if Roe was threatened.