President Biden on Friday delivered a ferocious condemnation of Donald J. Trump, his likely 2024 opponent, warning in searing language that the former president had directed an insurrection and would aim to undo the nation’s bedrock democracy if he returned to power.

On the eve of the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Mr. Trump’s supporters, Mr. Biden framed the coming election as a choice between a candidate devoted to upholding America’s centuries-old ideals and a chaos agent willing to discard them for his personal benefit.

“There’s no confusion about who Trump is or what he intends to do,” Mr. Biden warned in a speech at a community college not far from Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, where George Washington commanded troops during the Revolutionary War. Exhorting supporters to prepare to vote this fall, he said: “We all know who Donald Trump is. The question is: Who are we?”

In an intensely personal address that at one point nearly led Mr. Biden to curse Mr. Trump by name, the president compared his rival to foreign autocrats who rule by fiat and lies. He said Mr. Trump had failed the basic test of American leaders, to trust the people to choose their elected officials and abide by their decisions.

“We must be clear,” Mr. Biden said. “Democracy is on the ballot. Your freedom is on the ballot.”

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  • CileTheSane
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    5 months ago

    This implies the working class has any impact on policy. The only ones with political influence are the donor class. When your single voice has the same impact on politicians as people like Jeff Bezos, then maybe. But you have no voice or representation in politics.

    You think that would improve in any way if Trump gets elected?

    I agree, it sucks that Dems don’t have to actually try right now. But the fact is Trump has openly said he would be a dictator (“just for one day”) and has openly demonstrated his unwillingness to ever give up power. When people tell you who they are, believe them.

    There’s no sense in “teaching Dems a lesson” to run a better candidate if it leads to a very real possibility of the Dems never being able to run a candidate again. Unfortunately right now the only 2 options are:

    1. teach the Republicans a lesson that they have to run reasonable candidates with reasonable policies or they will lose hard, then pressure Dems to run better candidates or the at least somewhat reasonable Republican candidate will win. Or:
    2. burn it all down and hope something better rises from the ashes (and that you and your loved ones survive).
    • GodlessCommie@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Option 1 perpetuates the cycle of dysfunctional government. There is no pressuring Dems into anything if they are allowed to do whatever they want with no repercussions then get elected again. The working class doesn’t have the money necessary to pressure anything like the donor class does.

      never being able to run a candidate again

      This is hyperbole, regardless of what Trump says, the Constitution allows 2 terms total, and that’s it.

      How is it democrats believe Biden is completely powerless to pass anything because of Republicans, but believe Republicans would be able to pass all these things immediately? If democrats are so weak they can’t pass effective legislation then reelecting them is not the answer to the question.

      • CileTheSane
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        5 months ago

        There is no pressuring Dems into anything if they are allowed to do whatever they want with no repercussions then get elected again.

        And what does it say to Republicans when they can attempt a literal insurrection to overthrow the government with no repercussions then get elected again? “That’s okay, just give it another shot.”

        The working class doesn’t have the money necessary to pressure anything like the donor class does.

        And how much voice do you think the working class would have under a 2nd term of Trump?

        This is hyperbole

        They attempted a literal insurrection to overthrow the government to keep control of it What makes you think they won’t try harder given a 2nd chance?

        regardless of what Trump says, the Constitution allows 2 terms total, and that’s it.

        Constitution also says the candidate with the most electoral collage votes gets elected president. They didn’t obey then, they won’t obey it at the end of the 2nd term. “He gets another because his 2nd was stolen!” or some stupid bullshit like that.

        How is it democrats believe Biden is completely powerless to pass anything because of Republicans, but believe Republicans would be able to pass all these things immediately? If democrats are so weak they can’t pass effective legislation then reelecting them is not the answer to the question.

        Nobody is saying the Republicans will “pass all these things”. Republicans won’t bother with following the legal pathways because getting reelected will prove to them that they don’t have to. Biden is having difficulty because he is obeying the constitution and laws, Republicans have already shown that they won’t.

        At this point I have to believe you’re a Russian Troll. That’s the only logical explanation for “The law abiding President isn’t doing everything I want, so I’m not going to stop the Dictator from taking over who definitely won’t do anything I want.”