Biden Targets Extremist Trump Allies As Democratic Threat At Tough Political Time

PHILADELPHIA, Sept 1 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden accused Donald Trump’s Republican allies of undermining the country’s democracy and urged voters on Thursday to reject extremism ahead of November’s midterm elections. Biden accused lawmakers and others committed to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda led by the former US president of being willing to subvert democratic elections, ignoring the Constitution and “determined to take this country backwards” to an era without rights to abortion, privacy. , contraception or same-sex marriage. “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our democracy,” Biden said. “As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under attack. We do ourselves no favors to pretend otherwise.” Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up The prime-time speech in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, marked a sharp U-turn for Biden as midterm elections for Congress approach. Aides say the president is increasingly concerned about anti-Democratic trends in the Republican Party and sees a need to enter the race this year and reframe the stakes of his own re-election bid in 2024. After spending much of 2022 trying to combat high inflation at home and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and enduring two COVID-19 crises over the summer, Biden has repeatedly lashed out in recent days against Trump-aligned Republicans. read more His comments Thursday denouncing political violence and urging bipartisan compromise followed speeches in recent days in which he denounced the MAGA philosophy as “semi-fascism” and attacked Republican threats against the FBI following a search of Trump’s Florida home as ” humiliating”. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday accused Biden of ignoring crime and inflation to criticize his fellow citizens. “Instead of trying to bring our country together to solve these challenges, President Biden has chosen to divide, belittle and discredit his fellow Americans,” McCarthy said in Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. “Why? Simply because they disagree with his policies.” U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks about what he calls the “ongoing battle for the nation’s soul” in front of Independence Hall at Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, U.S., September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst read more A Democratic fundraiser said donors are closely watching Biden’s performance in the coming months to gauge whether to back him in a 2024 presidential bid. Some have already decided that Biden, 79, should step aside to make way for new leadership, while others want to see if he can effectively lead the party. “If we can pull this off and keep the Senate, then there will be enough voices to say he’s won it and that will pave the way for re-election,” said a senior Democratic official. “If we don’t, the overwhelming sentiment will be ‘Pass the torch.’” ARE FREE ELECTIONS AT RISK? Biden spoke in Philadelphia behind bulletproof glass and within striking distance of pro-Trump protesters. He made his remarks at a venue intended to mark the historic significance of his appeal, near Independence Hall, where the US Declaration of Independence and Constitution were adopted. Some historians and legal scholars have cast the stakes in starker terms than Biden’s political future, saying free elections and a commitment to the rule of law hang in the balance. They say losing Congress would not only make Biden a lame-duck president, but also hand control of certifying the results of the next presidential election to Trump supporters, some of whom have never accepted a Biden victory in 2020 and who have pledged to overhaul electoral systems. Biden addressed the concerns, saying “I’m not going to stand by and watch elections in this country get stolen by people who just refuse to accept that they lost.” The speech echoed Biden’s signature 2020 campaign pledge to restore the “soul of the nation” and thereby purge the values associated with Trump. In the nearly two years since Biden’s election, Republican voters have overwhelmingly backed candidates aligned with the former president. more than half say they believe Trump won the election rightfully. Faced with threats after Trump’s defeat, one in five election workers polled this year said they might quit before the next presidential election. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Reporting by Steve Holland in Philadelphia and Trevor Hunnicutt and Jarrett Renshaw in Washington Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Tyler Clifford in Washington Editing by Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis and Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

title: “Biden Targets Extremist Trump Allies As Democratic Threat At Tough Political Time Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-22” author: “Annie Momphard”

title: “Biden Targets Extremist Trump Allies As Democratic Threat At Tough Political Time Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Paul Venhorst”

title: “Biden Targets Extremist Trump Allies As Democratic Threat At Tough Political Time Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-10” author: “Thomas Jackson”