A campaign-style speech from Biden says 'MAGA Republicans' are assaulting equality and democracy
At Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Biden presented the state of U.S. politics as a campaign-style debate between "equality and democracy" and the GOP's assault on those principles.
In his address, the president continued his pattern of increasingly aggressive criticism against his political opponents. According to Biden, Republicans are embracing a "semi-fascist" ideology.
In their speech, Democrats point to voter anger against GOP policies on social issues like abortion and former President Donald Trump, as reasons for their increasing momentum ahead of the elections.
"The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both written at Independence Hall, embody equality and democracy, which are the foundation upon which this nation was built," Biden said.
"But as I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault," Biden stated. "We do ourselves no favors to pretend otherwise."
The speech's tone and context revealed Biden's attempt to depict the approaching congressional elections as part of what a White House representative described as "the extended fight for the Soul of the Nation." During the 2020 presidential campaign, the president frequently used this type of rhetoric, and he now seems ready to use some of the similar talking points in the run-up to the 2022 midterm elections.
In anticipation of the approaching elections, Democrats more widely seem to be shifting their focus toward criticism of Trump and social issues like abortion, which has risen in priority among voters, per a Fox News Poll conducted last month. They assert that GOP policies on these matters pose significant harm to the rights of Americans.
President Biden criticized Republicans on Thursday regarding those issues.
In reference to Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," Biden declared that "MAGA forces are determined to pull our country backwards." "Backwards to an America where there is no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to choose who you marry," Biden lectured.
Republicans assert that the economy and rising inflation are the two most important midterm topics. Given the substantial rise in costs under Biden's presidency, inflation remained by far the top concern for voters in the same Fox News Poll.
In a speech prior to Biden's speech on Thursday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, criticized Democrats on a wide range of subjects, including inflation.
"How many of you would be able to forfeit one month's worth of income? Not many, I bet." McCarthy stated this while making an appearance in Scranton, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. "However, if your salary remained the same for the past year, more than one month of your income has been lost."
The minority leader also criticized Biden for his remark about "semi-fascism." He stated that Biden should "feel shame for badmouthing tens of millions of Americans as 'fascists'."
In his remarks, Biden ridiculed Trump, the attack on the Capitol on January 6, Republican efforts to rig the 2020 presidential election, and Trump's MAGA supporters.
"The extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic is represented by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, according to Biden. "The Constitution is not respected by MAGA Republicans. They reject the idea of the rule of law. The people's will is ignored by them. The results of a fair election are not acceptable to them."
"Every Republican, not even a majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans," Biden said, "Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans dominate, drive, and intimidate the GOP as a whole."