TL/DR –
President Joe Biden made his first campaign speech for 2024, characterizing Donald Trump’s campaign as being about him and not about America or its future. Biden emphasized the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol in his speech, accusing Trump of being willing to sacrifice democracy to put himself in power, and reminding the crowd of Trump’s actions and statements during his presidency, such as his disrespect for veterans and his threats of revenge and retribution. Biden’s speech marked an aggressive start to his 2024 campaign, which runs alongside increasing political divide around the events of the Capitol attack, with a quarter of the public believing the conspiratorial claim that the FBI orchestrated the attack according to a recent poll.
President Biden Positions Trump as Threat to Democracy in 2024 Campaign Speech
Friday saw President Joe Biden casting Donald Trump, his likely opponent in the next elections, as a severe and unrepentant threat to American democracy. Speaking in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, just near the historic Valley Forge, Biden denounced Trump’s campaign obsession with the past and his self-centered rhetoric.
“He’s willing to sacrifice our democracy, put himself in power,” Biden charged, painting Trump as antithetical to the democratic values George Washington’s men fought for in the American Revolution.
Unlike previous presidential addresses, this speech had a campaign event’s flavor, marking the three-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Trump’s name, rarely mentioned by Biden in his initial term, surfaced frequently as he lambasted Trump’s controversial comments and actions.
Biden reminded his audience of Trump’s pledge to govern as a “dictator” and his disregard for the law and basic decency. His criticism touched upon Trump’s disrespectful comments about fallen soldiers and his insensitivity towards violent attacks on individuals like Paul Pelosi.
Using Trump’s words, Biden discussed Trump’s promise of ‘revenge and retribution’ if re-elected, his call for the execution of a high-ranking military leader, and his support for Jan. 6 insurrectionists. “This is like something out of a bad fairy tale,” Biden commented.
He continued his critique by accusing Trump and his MAGA supporters of abandoning truth and democracy. This speech marked a significant step in Biden’s 2024 campaign, bolstered by a new TV spot portraying Trump and his Jan. 6 followers as extremists against democratic principles.
A recent Washington Post poll reveals continuing divisions over the Capitol attack, with a quarter of the public falsely believing the FBI orchestrated it. Furthermore, a USA Today/Suffolk University poll indicates that half of Trump’s supporters lack confidence in the accurate counting of the 2024 results.
David Becker from the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research voiced concerns over disinformation potentially inciting non-peaceful actions. “I’m concerned that disinformation will lead supporters of the loser to claim the election was stolen,” Becker commented.
Trump has continued to use Jan. 6 for his campaign, claiming theft of the election, despite his numerous court losses. Biden, however, is prepared to use the facts from that day to prevent Trump from undermining American democracy, stating, “Trump is trying to steal history the way he is trying to steal the election… Political violence is never acceptable in the United States.”
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