The New York Times has come under fire after publishing an article about Joe Biden wearing a $7,000 Rolex watch during his inauguration ceremony.
On Friday, the publication went live with a piece headlined "Is That a Rolex on Biden's Wrist?." In the report, writer Alex Williams asserted that Biden was "breaking from prevailing presidential tradition" by wearing the iconic luxury watch brand.
'A Far Cry From the Everyman Timepieces'
"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," Williams wrote.
"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?" the r
Former Presidents and The Watches Worn by Them
Rolex watches have been worn by countless presidents, including Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan. But, Williams claimed that the "political power watches" have "gone out of style in the internet age," explaining that more recent presidents "seemed to consider the luxury watch as a signifier of out-of-touch elitism."
As examples, he cited Bill Clinton and George W. Bush's Timex watches, while Barack Obama wore a mid-priced watch by Shinola that cost less than $500. However, Donald Trump does own a flashy all-yellow-gold Day-Date, and even Obama has been spotted with a Rolex Cellini, which he wore for his official presidential portrait.
Twitter Reactions
Not long after the report was published, Twitter users blasted the Times' report on the platform with many drawing comparisons with Trump's prized possessions, including his 18-karat gold toilet.
"Headlines complaining about Biden's peloton and Rolex after 4 years of a dude with a literal gold toilet are beyond parody," tweeted GQ Magazine writer Laura Bassett.
Meanwhile, others expressed their anger over the report's attempt to rake up a scandal out of Biden's wrist instead of focusing on Trump's bid to overthrow the government.
"What's the worst presidential scandal, the time when Biden wore a Rolex, the time when Obama ordered Dijon mustard, or the time when Trump encouraged [an] insurrectionist mob to violently seize the Capitol in a vain attempt to overturn an election that he lost?" Vox correspondent Ian Millhiser wrote.
Here are some other reactions on Twitter:
