Joe Biden launched a frontal attack on his rival Donald Trump on Friday, accusing him of using the rhetoric of Nazi Germany in a major speech with which he hopes to give a boost to his campaign for the presidential election in November.
Almost three years to the day after the assault on the Capitol, the Democratic president presented the election as a choice between a man “obsessed with the past” and his own interests (Donald Trump) and another who does not care as “America” and “the future” (itself).
Donald Trump, a great favorite of the Republicans, “is ready to sacrifice our democracy in order to obtain power,” blasted Joe Biden near Valley Forge, in Pennsylvania, a historic site of the American War of Independence.
“He talks about the blood of Americans being poisoned (by migrants, editor’s note), using exactly the same language as that used in Nazi Germany,” continued Mr. Biden, 81, who is neck and neck or just behind Donald Trump in the polls.
The president was scheduled to give his speech on Saturday, just three years after the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, by supporters of Donald Trump who tried to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory; but the date was brought forward to Friday because of a storm forecast.
“Sacred cause”
Offensive, Joe Biden spoke at length on Friday about the violence of January 6, “a day forever engraved in our memory because it was that day that we almost lost America.”
The assault on the Capitol remains a subject of contention in the United States: a quarter of Americans believe, without proof, that the FBI was behind it, according to a Washington Post and University of Maryland poll published this week .
Hence the fact that “the most urgent question of our time (is) whether democracy is still America’s sacred cause,” he said. “That’s what the 2024 election is all about.”
“Trump and his MAGA supporters (“Make America Great Again”, the Republican billionaire’s flagship slogan) not only condone political violence, but they laugh about it,” denounced Joe Biden.
A Trump spokesperson, Steven Cheung, immediately retorted that Mr. Biden was “the real threat to democracy.” He accused him of “using the government as a weapon to attack his main political opponent” and interfering in the election, in reference to the numerous cases surrounding Mr. Trump in court.
And during a meeting in Iowa, Donald Trump accused his Democratic rival of “stoking fears,” calling the current president’s campaign event “pathetic.”
During his last campaign in 2020, Joe Biden had already described his duel with Donald Trump as a “battle for the soul of America”.
The location chosen by the Democrat for his speech is symbolic: Valley Forge saw George Washington, future first president of the United States, bring together the American military forces who fought against the British Empire almost 250 years ago.
“We chose Valley Forge because George Washington unified the colonies there,” said Mr. Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks. “Then he became president and he laid the foundation for the peaceful transition of power – something Donald Trump and the Republicans refused to do.”
Thorns in the foot
The Republican real estate mogul still claims, without the slightest proof, that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him.
“Let’s be clear about the 2020 election (…). I won the election, he was the loser,” said Joe Biden to applause, presenting himself as the guardian of American democracy.
“We all know who Donald Trump is. The question we must answer is who are we!” he said, urging voters to mobilize.
This boost to Joe Biden’s campaign comes after criticism from some Democrats, who believe that it has so far been weak.
The president is still struggling to convince voters that the economy is improving despite more favorable employment figures than expected on Friday.
Other thorns in his side: immigration and the Mexican border puzzle, support for Israel’s war against Hamas which divides his party or even Congress which blocks his request for additional funds from Ukraine.
Joe Biden’s refusal to mention Donald Trump’s multiple legal cases also deprived him of one of his main weapons against the Republican billionaire.
But Joe Biden’s first flaw probably remains his age. He has the worst popularity rating for a sitting president in the month of December preceding an election.
