Update: Jared Schmeck said Monday he is proud of the call with President Joe Biden. Schmeck made the new remarks on former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s show, War Room, where he wore a “Make America Great Again” hat and struck a defiant tone. Read the latest.
A Central Point father of four who wished President Joe Biden and the first lady a wonderful Christmas and added “Let’s go, Brandon,” at the end of a live streamed Santa tracker call told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he didn’t intend his parting message to be vulgar.
“At the end of the day, I have nothing against Mr. Biden, but I am frustrated because I think he can be doing a better job,” said Jared Schmeck, 35, who works for an electric company and was previously a Medford police officer for six years until he resigned in July 2018. “I mean no disrespect to him.”
The phrase “Let’s Go, Brandon” has become a conservative dig at the Democratic president, a code for “F--- Joe Biden,” which resulted from an Oct. 2 NASCAR race in Alabama, where a crowd was shouting the vulgar chant, but a TV reporter suggested during an interview with the winning driver Brandon Brown that the crowd actually was chanting, “Let’s go, Brandon.” Brown had just won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
Schmeck said he’s not a “Trumper,” but described himself as “free-thinking American and follower of Jesus Christ.”
Schmeck said he and his family call into the NORAD Santa tracker every Christmas Eve. He said he wasn’t aware the call would be livestreamed.
When he called Friday night from his sons’ Christmas-decorated bedroom, he was told First Lady Jill Biden would be taking calls.
“I thought it would be automated. We just waited on hold and then they answered,” he said. “And I thought, ‘wow, this is real.’ "
When Jared shared the names of his children, President Biden immediately homed in on the boy named Hunter, sharing that they have a son and grandson named Hunter as well.
Jared’s 11-year-old Griffin told the president he wanted a piano for Christmas. His son Hunter said he wanted a Switch.
“Switch?” Biden questioned.
https://www.oregonlive.com/nation/2021/12/...
Posted By: Steve Williams
Tuesday, December 28th 2021 at 3:26AM
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