The White House did not skimp on symbols: it is in Philadelphia, the cradle of the USA, and in “prime time” on Thursday, Joe Biden wants to criticize Donald Trump’s supporters, who, in his opinion, are dirtying the “soul” of America, writes AFP.

His first rally as a presidential candidate was also held in this city in May 2019.

The US president is due to speak at 20:00 (00:00 GMT) about the “ongoing battle for the nation’s soul” outside the building where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were adopted.

On a more tactical level, Pennsylvania, the eastern state where Philadelphia is located, may hold the key to the November election.

The 79-year-old Democrat will “speak (…) very directly about what he sees as a threat today,” namely “extremist MAGA Republicans,” White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said Thursday. Just so everyone understands: who supports former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again ideology.

Joe Biden “never backs down when it comes to his predecessor (…), but this is not a speech about the former president,” she assured the press during the daily briefing.

And it will also be “optimistic,” added Karin Jean-Pierre, explaining, “When we talk about extremism, it’s only a very small part of the American population.”

“MAGA”

In August 2017, Joe Biden already wrote in The Atlantic magazine: “We are living in a battle for the soul of the nation.”

The veteran politician initially bet that the “battle” would be fought through dialogue with willing conservative elected officials and reforms for the middle class.

But the great air of reconciliation was suppressed.

Every positive poll prompts Joe Biden to throw punches, and he recently accused Donald Trump’s supporters of espousing a “semi-fascist” ideology.

The term has sparked outrage in the conservative camp, which accuses the president of being divisive.

Kevin McCarthy, a Republican running for the prestigious post of House leader, on Thursday accused Joe Biden of “demonizing” “tens of millions of hard-working, law-abiding Americans.”

poll

If the midterm elections were held today, 47 percent of voters would vote Democratic and 44 percent would vote Republican, according to a Wall Street Journal poll published Thursday. In March, the “rights” still had an advantage of 5 points.

Democrats are dreaming of a feat this election that would renew the entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate, and which has traditionally been disadvantageous to the party represented in the White House.

Opinion polls are not infallible, and in American politics, two months is an eternity. But the political debate has changed since the beginning of the summer.

Inflation calmed down as Joe Biden pushed through a series of reforms and announced the death of an al-Qaeda leader in an attack in the US. That’s enough to overshadow the two main themes of the Republican campaign: protecting the purchasing power and skills of the oldest president ever elected in the United States.

Several opinion polls show an increase on issues favoring Democrats, such as protecting abortion rights and social benefits, against Republicans, who are now perceived by some of the electorate as reactionary.

There is also concern about democracy and the rejection of political violence, concerns that always revolve around Donald Trump.

As the case over classified documents found at the former president’s Florida residence gathers momentum daily, Axios reported Thursday that the November election could look like a “referendum on Trump.”

The Democratic Party, which will have trouble holding the House of Representatives, hopes to retain its majority in the Senate.

That means winning Pennsylvania. Joe Biden was already there on Tuesday and will be back on Monday.

Donald Trump will travel to this venerable state on Saturday.