“This is not a speech for the former president,” a senior administration official told reporters. “This is a speech about democracy.” She remained steadfast through high-profile speeches at locations steeped in historical symbolism, including Warm Springs, Georgia, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The prime time announcements will be no different, this time set against the backdrop of the nation’s revolutionary beginnings. But the speech will also serve as a tacit admission that Biden’s efforts to overcome the divisiveness and chaos of former President Donald Trump have been more difficult than he might have imagined. Trump continues to dominate the headlines, especially in recent weeks after federal agents raided his Florida home, revealing an investigation into the former president’s possession of classified documents after he left office. Biden’s speech will take place hours after a court hearing on that investigation. “The way he sees it, MAGA Republicans are the most energetic part of the Republican Party,” spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said a day before the speech. “This is an extreme threat to our democracy, to our freedom, to our rights. They simply do not respect the rule of law.” White House officials stressed that when Biden warns of the threat to democracy, he’s not talking about Republicans as a whole, but about those who carry themselves after Trump: the “MAGA Republicans,” as the administration has labeled them. , referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Asked whether Biden would name Trump directly, given that he is the face of the movement, the senior official said: “That will be a very direct discussion.” Before the speech, Rona McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Biden was dividing the nation. “Joe Biden is the master divider and epitomizes the current state of the Democratic Party: division, disgust and hostility toward half the country,” she said in a statement. Biden has been mulling a keynote address on American democracy for several months, prompted in part by revealing hearings convened by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 uprising, according to an official. He’s also watched with concern as dissidents running for office across the state have been angered by Trump and angered by the attempted attack on an FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio. “This is a speech that the President has been thinking about for a long time. He’s been working on it for a while,” a senior administration official said. “It’s not a response to any news of the day. It’s a response to what he sees as a moment in this country.”
Biden wants to seize the moment
While Biden played down when the “fever” would break when it came to the GOP’s ties to Trump, recent weeks have brought into sharp focus many of the campaign pledges that seemed just as unrealistic — from major bipartisan deals to major investments in manufacturing, climate and health care — have, in fact, been signed into law.
The convergence of factors has created a genuine sense within the West Wing that the political winds are shifting just as Americans begin to tune in to the midterm elections. It has also had a dramatic effect on the White House itself, where months of intra-party warfare, a resurgent and ubiquitous Covid-19 pandemic and a myriad of crises that many aides felt were beyond their control appear to have finally turned their way.
Even Biden, who amuses himself by recounting the story of the doctor who called him a “born optimist,” was not immune to a sense of gloom and occasional doom that hung over the West Wing for months.
“It could get pretty dark,” said one person who spoke regularly with Biden about his take on things toward the end of his first year in office. “It’s not his way, but there was a period there,” when Biden’s mood mirrored that of the depleted country he led.
But the shifting winds this summer have coincided with Trump’s significant re-emergence in the national spotlight. Republican politicians and candidates running entire campaigns based on false allegations of rigged elections have become more common.
As the midterm campaign season kicks into high gear, the confluence of factors has created an ideal time for Biden to present what has long been on his mind, officials say.
“The President felt this was an opportune time before the traditional election season begins next week to lay out what is at stake, not for any individual political party, but for our democracy itself,” a senior administration official said.
A rare prime-time speech shows Biden’s focus on democracy
He works for several days with his editors on drafts of the 20- to 30-minute speech, going over precise language and wording. The president usually rehearses his major speeches in advance and his schedule was clear of public events on Wednesday and Thursday as he prepared.
Biden has delivered few speeches during his presidency, including his annual addresses to Congress and remarks on gun violence earlier this summer. Aides said the President considered the matter serious enough to address the nation in the evening — and asked television networks to halt their regular broadcasts.
White House officials have said they want to be selective about when and where to address the issues surrounding the erosion of democracy, even as many party activists have called for more focus on the issue. The issue itself is one that consumes much of Biden’s thinking, those close to him say — something that can leak into the public sphere during the rare moments he actually engages with reporters.
But choosing the right time to address them on a large national scale, Biden’s team believes, will prevent the issue from becoming routine for voters. Biden, officials note, had no qualms about that strategy.
On the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Biden spoke during the day from National Statuary Hall, launching his most direct attack yet on Trump for his continued campaign lies and the Republicans who have fueled them.
In that speech, Biden accused Trump of holding “a dagger to America’s throat, to American democracy,” a remarkable moment that marked a sharp escalation in his approach to Trump’s persistent claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
At the time, it was unclear whether the new, more aggressive stance toward Trump would herald a lasting change in his approach to the de facto leader of the Republican Party. Biden did not repeat his criticism of Trump on a regular basis until recently as he began his efforts to elect Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
“MAGA Republicans are not just a threat to our personal rights and economic security, they are a threat to our very democracy,” he said last week at a Democratic rally in Maryland. “They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.”
A few days later, Biden used an official event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to chastise South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican he once called a friend, for saying there could be street riots if Trump is impeached from justice. Department.
“Where the hell are we? Biden exclaimed.
The “semi-fascism” comment is causing outrage, but the White House won’t back down
The move toward Trump by Graham and other Republicans, whom Biden has known well for years, has frustrated and upset Biden more than most Washington operatives. A senior adviser said Biden is “darkening” when he sees former establishment Republicans “behaving badly” and being associated with the worst elements of Trump’s political brand. The recent aggressive rhetoric has drawn howls of protest from Republicans. When he accused Trump supporters of “semi-fascism” at a fundraiser last week, the response was swift. “Terribly offensive,” said Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, a Republican who has not aligned himself with Trump. “He’s trying to stir up controversy, he’s trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it’s just — it’s horribly inappropriate.” At least one Democrat in a tight re-election race also distanced herself from Biden’s remark. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire said Biden “painted with too broad a brush” when he made the comment. White House officials did not give a reason when asked about the criticism — and neither did Biden. But officials say Biden will make it clear that his target is not the Republican Party or conservatives in general. “He will speak very clearly to both Democrats, independents and mainstream Republicans that he believes are united in our belief in democracy and our willingness to defend democracy,” the senior administration official said. “But he will talk about these direct threats to democracy from MAGA Republicans and the extremism that is a threat right now to our democratic values.” While officials describe Biden’s message as urgent, it remains to be seen whether voters facing high prices and an uncertain economy will heed his warnings about the state of democracy. However, recent polls have shown concerns about the rise of democracy among voters. An NBC poll conducted in August found that “threats to democracy” rose to the No. 1 issue facing the country, surpassing “cost of living.” And a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found 67 percent of respondents believe the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapsing, up 9 points from January. Unplanned — but not completely…
title: “Biden S Straightforward Prime Time Speech On Democracy Comes As He Grows More Concerned About Trump S Influence Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-19” author: “Melissa Welch”
“This is not a speech for the former president,” a senior administration official told reporters. “This is a speech about democracy.” She remained steadfast through high-profile speeches at locations steeped in historical symbolism, including Warm Springs, Georgia, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The prime time announcements will be no different, this time set against the backdrop of the nation’s revolutionary beginnings. But the speech will also serve as a tacit admission that Biden’s efforts to overcome the divisiveness and chaos of former President Donald Trump have been more difficult than he might have imagined. Trump continues to dominate the headlines, especially in recent weeks after federal agents raided his Florida home, revealing an investigation into the former president’s possession of classified documents after he left office. Biden’s speech will take place hours after a court hearing on that investigation. “The way he sees it, MAGA Republicans are the most energetic part of the Republican Party,” spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said a day before the speech. “This is an extreme threat to our democracy, to our freedom, to our rights. They simply do not respect the rule of law.” White House officials stressed that when Biden warns of the threat to democracy, he’s not talking about Republicans as a whole, but about those who carry themselves after Trump: the “MAGA Republicans,” as the administration has labeled them. , referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Asked whether Biden would name Trump directly, given that he is the face of the movement, the senior official said: “That will be a very direct discussion.” Before the speech, Rona McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Biden was dividing the nation. “Joe Biden is the master divider and epitomizes the current state of the Democratic Party: division, disgust and hostility toward half the country,” she said in a statement. Biden has been mulling a keynote address on American democracy for several months, prompted in part by revealing hearings convened by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 uprising, according to an official. He’s also watched with concern as dissidents running for office across the state have been angered by Trump and angered by the attempted attack on an FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio. “This is a speech that the President has been thinking about for a long time. He’s been working on it for a while,” a senior administration official said. “It’s not a response to any news of the day. It’s a response to what he sees as a moment in this country.”
Biden wants to seize the moment
While Biden played down when the “fever” would break when it came to the GOP’s ties to Trump, recent weeks have brought into sharp focus many of the campaign pledges that seemed just as unrealistic — from major bipartisan deals to major investments in manufacturing, climate and health care — have, in fact, been signed into law.
The convergence of factors has created a genuine sense within the West Wing that the political winds are shifting just as Americans begin to tune in to the midterm elections. It has also had a dramatic effect on the White House itself, where months of intra-party warfare, a resurgent and ubiquitous Covid-19 pandemic and a myriad of crises that many aides felt were beyond their control appear to have finally turned their way.
Even Biden, who amuses himself by recounting the story of the doctor who called him a “born optimist,” was not immune to a sense of gloom and occasional doom that hung over the West Wing for months.
“It could get pretty dark,” said one person who spoke regularly with Biden about his take on things toward the end of his first year in office. “It’s not his way, but there was a period there,” when Biden’s mood mirrored that of the depleted country he led.
But the shifting winds this summer have coincided with Trump’s significant re-emergence in the national spotlight. Republican politicians and candidates running entire campaigns based on false allegations of rigged elections have become more common.
As the midterm campaign season kicks into high gear, the confluence of factors has created an ideal time for Biden to present what has long been on his mind, officials say.
“The President felt this was an opportune time before the traditional election season begins next week to lay out what is at stake, not for any individual political party, but for our democracy itself,” a senior administration official said.
A rare prime-time speech shows Biden’s focus on democracy
He works for several days with his editors on drafts of the 20- to 30-minute speech, going over precise language and wording. The president usually rehearses his major speeches in advance and his schedule was clear of public events on Wednesday and Thursday as he prepared.
Biden has delivered few speeches during his presidency, including his annual addresses to Congress and remarks on gun violence earlier this summer. Aides said the President considered the matter serious enough to address the nation in the evening — and asked television networks to halt their regular broadcasts.
White House officials have said they want to be selective about when and where to address the issues surrounding the erosion of democracy, even as many party activists have called for more focus on the issue. The issue itself is one that consumes much of Biden’s thinking, those close to him say — something that can leak into the public sphere during the rare moments he actually engages with reporters.
But choosing the right time to address them on a large national scale, Biden’s team believes, will prevent the issue from becoming routine for voters. Biden, officials note, had no qualms about that strategy.
On the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Biden spoke during the day from National Statuary Hall, launching his most direct attack yet on Trump for his continued campaign lies and the Republicans who have fueled them.
In that speech, Biden accused Trump of holding “a dagger to America’s throat, to American democracy,” a remarkable moment that marked a sharp escalation in his approach to Trump’s persistent claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
At the time, it was unclear whether the new, more aggressive stance toward Trump would herald a lasting change in his approach to the de facto leader of the Republican Party. Biden did not repeat his criticism of Trump on a regular basis until recently as he began his efforts to elect Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
“MAGA Republicans are not just a threat to our personal rights and economic security, they are a threat to our very democracy,” he said last week at a Democratic rally in Maryland. “They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.”
A few days later, Biden used an official event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to chastise South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican he once called a friend, for saying there could be street riots if Trump is impeached from justice. Department.
“Where the hell are we? Biden exclaimed.
The “semi-fascism” comment is causing outrage, but the White House won’t back down
The move toward Trump by Graham and other Republicans, whom Biden has known well for years, has frustrated and upset Biden more than most Washington operatives. A senior adviser said Biden is “darkening” when he sees former establishment Republicans “behaving badly” and being associated with the worst elements of Trump’s political brand. The recent aggressive rhetoric has drawn howls of protest from Republicans. When he accused Trump supporters of “semi-fascism” at a fundraiser last week, the response was swift. “Terribly offensive,” said Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, a Republican who has not aligned himself with Trump. “He’s trying to stir up controversy, he’s trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it’s just — it’s horribly inappropriate.” At least one Democrat in a tight re-election race also distanced herself from Biden’s remark. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire said Biden “painted with too broad a brush” when he made the comment. White House officials did not give a reason when asked about the criticism — and neither did Biden. But officials say Biden will make it clear that his target is not the Republican Party or conservatives in general. “He will speak very clearly to both Democrats, independents and mainstream Republicans that he believes are united in our belief in democracy and our willingness to defend democracy,” the senior administration official said. “But he will talk about these direct threats to democracy from MAGA Republicans and the extremism that is a threat right now to our democratic values.” While officials describe Biden’s message as urgent, it remains to be seen whether voters facing high prices and an uncertain economy will heed his warnings about the state of democracy. However, recent polls have shown concerns about the rise of democracy among voters. An NBC poll conducted in August found that “threats to democracy” rose to the No. 1 issue facing the country, surpassing “cost of living.” And a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found 67 percent of respondents believe the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapsing, up 9 points from January. Unplanned — but not completely…
title: “Biden S Straightforward Prime Time Speech On Democracy Comes As He Grows More Concerned About Trump S Influence Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-01” author: “Tarah Travers”
“This is not a speech for the former president,” a senior administration official told reporters. “This is a speech about democracy.” She remained steadfast through high-profile speeches at locations steeped in historical symbolism, including Warm Springs, Georgia, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The prime time announcements will be no different, this time set against the backdrop of the nation’s revolutionary beginnings. But the speech will also serve as a tacit admission that Biden’s efforts to overcome the divisiveness and chaos of former President Donald Trump have been more difficult than he might have imagined. Trump continues to dominate the headlines, especially in recent weeks after federal agents raided his Florida home, revealing an investigation into the former president’s possession of classified documents after he left office. Biden’s speech will take place hours after a court hearing on that investigation. “The way he sees it, MAGA Republicans are the most energetic part of the Republican Party,” spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said a day before the speech. “This is an extreme threat to our democracy, to our freedom, to our rights. They simply do not respect the rule of law.” White House officials stressed that when Biden warns of the threat to democracy, he’s not talking about Republicans as a whole, but about those who carry themselves after Trump: the “MAGA Republicans,” as the administration has labeled them. , referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Asked whether Biden would name Trump directly, given that he is the face of the movement, the senior official said: “That will be a very direct discussion.” Before the speech, Rona McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Biden was dividing the nation. “Joe Biden is the master divider and epitomizes the current state of the Democratic Party: division, disgust and hostility toward half the country,” she said in a statement. Biden has been mulling a keynote address on American democracy for several months, prompted in part by revealing hearings convened by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 uprising, according to an official. He’s also watched with concern as dissidents running for office across the state have been angered by Trump and angered by the attempted attack on an FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio. “This is a speech that the President has been thinking about for a long time. He’s been working on it for a while,” a senior administration official said. “It’s not a response to any news of the day. It’s a response to what he sees as a moment in this country.”
Biden wants to seize the moment
While Biden played down when the “fever” would break when it came to the GOP’s ties to Trump, recent weeks have brought into sharp focus many of the campaign pledges that seemed just as unrealistic — from major bipartisan deals to major investments in manufacturing, climate and health care — have, in fact, been signed into law.
The convergence of factors has created a genuine sense within the West Wing that the political winds are shifting just as Americans begin to tune in to the midterm elections. It has also had a dramatic effect on the White House itself, where months of intra-party warfare, a resurgent and ubiquitous Covid-19 pandemic and a myriad of crises that many aides felt were beyond their control appear to have finally turned their way.
Even Biden, who amuses himself by recounting the story of the doctor who called him a “born optimist,” was not immune to a sense of gloom and occasional doom that hung over the West Wing for months.
“It could get pretty dark,” said one person who spoke regularly with Biden about his take on things toward the end of his first year in office. “It’s not his way, but there was a period there,” when Biden’s mood mirrored that of the depleted country he led.
But the shifting winds this summer have coincided with Trump’s significant re-emergence in the national spotlight. Republican politicians and candidates running entire campaigns based on false allegations of rigged elections have become more common.
As the midterm campaign season kicks into high gear, the confluence of factors has created an ideal time for Biden to present what has long been on his mind, officials say.
“The President felt this was an opportune time before the traditional election season begins next week to lay out what is at stake, not for any individual political party, but for our democracy itself,” a senior administration official said.
A rare prime-time speech shows Biden’s focus on democracy
He works for several days with his editors on drafts of the 20- to 30-minute speech, going over precise language and wording. The president usually rehearses his major speeches in advance and his schedule was clear of public events on Wednesday and Thursday as he prepared.
Biden has delivered few speeches during his presidency, including his annual addresses to Congress and remarks on gun violence earlier this summer. Aides said the President considered the matter serious enough to address the nation in the evening — and asked television networks to halt their regular broadcasts.
White House officials have said they want to be selective about when and where to address the issues surrounding the erosion of democracy, even as many party activists have called for more focus on the issue. The issue itself is one that consumes much of Biden’s thinking, those close to him say — something that can leak into the public sphere during the rare moments he actually engages with reporters.
But choosing the right time to address them on a large national scale, Biden’s team believes, will prevent the issue from becoming routine for voters. Biden, officials note, had no qualms about that strategy.
On the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Biden spoke during the day from National Statuary Hall, launching his most direct attack yet on Trump for his continued campaign lies and the Republicans who have fueled them.
In that speech, Biden accused Trump of holding “a dagger to America’s throat, to American democracy,” a remarkable moment that marked a sharp escalation in his approach to Trump’s persistent claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
At the time, it was unclear whether the new, more aggressive stance toward Trump would herald a lasting change in his approach to the de facto leader of the Republican Party. Biden did not repeat his criticism of Trump on a regular basis until recently as he began his efforts to elect Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
“MAGA Republicans are not just a threat to our personal rights and economic security, they are a threat to our very democracy,” he said last week at a Democratic rally in Maryland. “They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.”
A few days later, Biden used an official event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to chastise South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican he once called a friend, for saying there could be street riots if Trump is impeached from justice. Department.
“Where the hell are we? Biden exclaimed.
The “semi-fascism” comment is causing outrage, but the White House won’t back down
The move toward Trump by Graham and other Republicans, whom Biden has known well for years, has frustrated and upset Biden more than most Washington operatives. A senior adviser said Biden is “darkening” when he sees former establishment Republicans “behaving badly” and being associated with the worst elements of Trump’s political brand. The recent aggressive rhetoric has drawn howls of protest from Republicans. When he accused Trump supporters of “semi-fascism” at a fundraiser last week, the response was swift. “Terribly offensive,” said Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, a Republican who has not aligned himself with Trump. “He’s trying to stir up controversy, he’s trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it’s just — it’s horribly inappropriate.” At least one Democrat in a tight re-election race also distanced herself from Biden’s remark. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire said Biden “painted with too broad a brush” when he made the comment. White House officials did not give a reason when asked about the criticism — and neither did Biden. But officials say Biden will make it clear that his target is not the Republican Party or conservatives in general. “He will speak very clearly to both Democrats, independents and mainstream Republicans that he believes are united in our belief in democracy and our willingness to defend democracy,” the senior administration official said. “But he will talk about these direct threats to democracy from MAGA Republicans and the extremism that is a threat right now to our democratic values.” While officials describe Biden’s message as urgent, it remains to be seen whether voters facing high prices and an uncertain economy will heed his warnings about the state of democracy. However, recent polls have shown concerns about the rise of democracy among voters. An NBC poll conducted in August found that “threats to democracy” rose to the No. 1 issue facing the country, surpassing “cost of living.” And a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found 67 percent of respondents believe the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapsing, up 9 points from January. Unplanned — but not completely…
title: “Biden S Straightforward Prime Time Speech On Democracy Comes As He Grows More Concerned About Trump S Influence Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-19” author: “John Cox”
“This is not a speech for the former president,” a senior administration official told reporters. “This is a speech about democracy.” She remained steadfast through high-profile speeches at locations steeped in historical symbolism, including Warm Springs, Georgia, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The prime time announcements will be no different, this time set against the backdrop of the nation’s revolutionary beginnings. But the speech will also serve as a tacit admission that Biden’s efforts to overcome the divisiveness and chaos of former President Donald Trump have been more difficult than he might have imagined. Trump continues to dominate the headlines, especially in recent weeks after federal agents raided his Florida home, revealing an investigation into the former president’s possession of classified documents after he left office. Biden’s speech will take place hours after a court hearing on that investigation. “The way he sees it, MAGA Republicans are the most energetic part of the Republican Party,” spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said a day before the speech. “This is an extreme threat to our democracy, to our freedom, to our rights. They simply do not respect the rule of law.” White House officials stressed that when Biden warns of the threat to democracy, he’s not talking about Republicans as a whole, but about those who carry themselves after Trump: the “MAGA Republicans,” as the administration has labeled them. , referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Asked whether Biden would name Trump directly, given that he is the face of the movement, the senior official said: “That will be a very direct discussion.” Before the speech, Rona McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Biden was dividing the nation. “Joe Biden is the master divider and epitomizes the current state of the Democratic Party: division, disgust and hostility toward half the country,” she said in a statement. Biden has been mulling a keynote address on American democracy for several months, prompted in part by revealing hearings convened by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 uprising, according to an official. He’s also watched with concern as dissidents running for office across the state have been angered by Trump and angered by the attempted attack on an FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio. “This is a speech that the President has been thinking about for a long time. He’s been working on it for a while,” a senior administration official said. “It’s not a response to any news of the day. It’s a response to what he sees as a moment in this country.”
Biden wants to seize the moment
While Biden played down when the “fever” would break when it came to the GOP’s ties to Trump, recent weeks have brought into sharp focus many of the campaign pledges that seemed just as unrealistic — from major bipartisan deals to major investments in manufacturing, climate and health care — have, in fact, been signed into law.
The convergence of factors has created a genuine sense within the West Wing that the political winds are shifting just as Americans begin to tune in to the midterm elections. It has also had a dramatic effect on the White House itself, where months of intra-party warfare, a resurgent and ubiquitous Covid-19 pandemic and a myriad of crises that many aides felt were beyond their control appear to have finally turned their way.
Even Biden, who amuses himself by recounting the story of the doctor who called him a “born optimist,” was not immune to a sense of gloom and occasional doom that hung over the West Wing for months.
“It could get pretty dark,” said one person who spoke regularly with Biden about his take on things toward the end of his first year in office. “It’s not his way, but there was a period there,” when Biden’s mood mirrored that of the depleted country he led.
But the shifting winds this summer have coincided with Trump’s significant re-emergence in the national spotlight. Republican politicians and candidates running entire campaigns based on false allegations of rigged elections have become more common.
As the midterm campaign season kicks into high gear, the confluence of factors has created an ideal time for Biden to present what has long been on his mind, officials say.
“The President felt this was an opportune time before the traditional election season begins next week to lay out what is at stake, not for any individual political party, but for our democracy itself,” a senior administration official said.
A rare prime-time speech shows Biden’s focus on democracy
He works for several days with his editors on drafts of the 20- to 30-minute speech, going over precise language and wording. The president usually rehearses his major speeches in advance and his schedule was clear of public events on Wednesday and Thursday as he prepared.
Biden has delivered few speeches during his presidency, including his annual addresses to Congress and remarks on gun violence earlier this summer. Aides said the President considered the matter serious enough to address the nation in the evening — and asked television networks to halt their regular broadcasts.
White House officials have said they want to be selective about when and where to address the issues surrounding the erosion of democracy, even as many party activists have called for more focus on the issue. The issue itself is one that consumes much of Biden’s thinking, those close to him say — something that can leak into the public sphere during the rare moments he actually engages with reporters.
But choosing the right time to address them on a large national scale, Biden’s team believes, will prevent the issue from becoming routine for voters. Biden, officials note, had no qualms about that strategy.
On the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Biden spoke during the day from National Statuary Hall, launching his most direct attack yet on Trump for his continued campaign lies and the Republicans who have fueled them.
In that speech, Biden accused Trump of holding “a dagger to America’s throat, to American democracy,” a remarkable moment that marked a sharp escalation in his approach to Trump’s persistent claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
At the time, it was unclear whether the new, more aggressive stance toward Trump would herald a lasting change in his approach to the de facto leader of the Republican Party. Biden did not repeat his criticism of Trump on a regular basis until recently as he began his efforts to elect Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
“MAGA Republicans are not just a threat to our personal rights and economic security, they are a threat to our very democracy,” he said last week at a Democratic rally in Maryland. “They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.”
A few days later, Biden used an official event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to chastise South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican he once called a friend, for saying there could be street riots if Trump is impeached from justice. Department.
“Where the hell are we? Biden exclaimed.
The “semi-fascism” comment is causing outrage, but the White House won’t back down
The move toward Trump by Graham and other Republicans, whom Biden has known well for years, has frustrated and upset Biden more than most Washington operatives. A senior adviser said Biden is “darkening” when he sees former establishment Republicans “behaving badly” and being associated with the worst elements of Trump’s political brand. The recent aggressive rhetoric has drawn howls of protest from Republicans. When he accused Trump supporters of “semi-fascism” at a fundraiser last week, the response was swift. “Terribly offensive,” said Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, a Republican who has not aligned himself with Trump. “He’s trying to stir up controversy, he’s trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it’s just — it’s horribly inappropriate.” At least one Democrat in a tight re-election race also distanced herself from Biden’s remark. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire said Biden “painted with too broad a brush” when he made the comment. White House officials did not give a reason when asked about the criticism — and neither did Biden. But officials say Biden will make it clear that his target is not the Republican Party or conservatives in general. “He will speak very clearly to both Democrats, independents and mainstream Republicans that he believes are united in our belief in democracy and our willingness to defend democracy,” the senior administration official said. “But he will talk about these direct threats to democracy from MAGA Republicans and the extremism that is a threat right now to our democratic values.” While officials describe Biden’s message as urgent, it remains to be seen whether voters facing high prices and an uncertain economy will heed his warnings about the state of democracy. However, recent polls have shown concerns about the rise of democracy among voters. An NBC poll conducted in August found that “threats to democracy” rose to the No. 1 issue facing the country, surpassing “cost of living.” And a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found 67 percent of respondents believe the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapsing, up 9 points from January. Unplanned — but not completely…
