Biden: Democracies die when people are silent – details
On Thursday, President Joe Biden launched a direct attack on “extremist” Donald Trump in his speech, calling on Americans to stand up for democracy and accusing his rival of trying to undermine US institutions.
Speaking in the battleground state of Arizona, the Democrat said Trump was driven by “revenge and malice” and that the Republican and his far-right allies were attacking a free press and the rule of law.
To avoid the appearance of judicial interference, Biden has avoided commenting on the numerous criminal charges against Trump, including his involvement in efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss – culminating in the chaos his supporters unleashed at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021
But the 80-year-old Biden did not hold back in his speech to say what he thinks the country risks from a second term of Trump.
“We must all remember: democracies do not have to die from gun laws,” Biden said. “They can die when people are silent, when they don’t stand up or condemn threats to democracy.”
Biden said that “something dangerous” is happening in America and that the Republican Party is “driven and intimidated” by Trump’s far-right MAGA (Make America Great Again).
“They don’t hide their attacks. They openly encourage them, attacking the free press as the enemy of the people, attacking the rule of law.”
Biden in particular criticized Republicans who have remained silent since Trump recently accused a top US military official of treason and lashed out at hard-line Trump-aligned Republicans for pushing the United States into a government shutdown this week.
But Biden reserved some of his harshest words for Trump himself, unusually addressing him by name instead of calling the Republican, as he usually does, his “predecessor” or “the last man.”
“Trump says the constitution gives him ‘the right to do whatever he wants,'” Biden said, referring to Trump’s statements about how he sees his powers in office.
“I’ve never heard a president say that even in jest — not out of the Constitution or out of simple servility and decency to our fellow Americans, but out of revenge and malice.”
At one point, after being interrupted by a climate change hater, Biden told the audience, “Democracy is never easy — as was just demonstrated.”
The speech came as House Republicans began impeachment hearings Thursday on Biden over unproven allegations that he lied about his son Hunter’s business dealings.
But Biden touted his bipartisan credentials, using the speech to hail the legacy of his frequent political opponent and close friend, the late Arizona Sen. John McCain.
McCain, a Vietnam War hero, was defeated in the 2008 presidential election by Barack Obama, with Biden serving as the winner’s vice president. But the two men put aside their differences, especially after Trump won the 2016 presidential election.
Biden described McCain, who died in 2018, as “a proud Republican who put country first.”
McCain loathed Trump, withdrawing his support for him in the 2016 presidential election and declaring before his death from brain cancer that he did not want him at his funeral. The feeling was mutual, with Trump mocking his status as a war hero in 2015.
Biden, on the contrary, delivered a eulogy at McCain’s funeral, declaring that he “loved” him and that their friendship transcended political differences, BGNES recalls.
With the US election more than a year away, Biden and Trump completed their first major head-to-head clash this week, visiting rival auto workers in Michigan, another battleground state.
Biden’s speech comes a day after seven other Republican presidential candidates held a campaign debate in California. Trump, who has a huge lead over all his rivals, did not participate in the event.
The US presidential election is 14 months away, and the results of recent polls show significant changes in public attitudes.
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, incumbent President Joe Biden trails former President Donald Trump by 9 points, according to the latest poll. Biden’s approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 37%.
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2023-09-29 04:10:00
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