US President Joe Biden launched a rare direct attack on his Republican predecessor, denouncing on Thursday the “extremism” of Donald Trump and his supporters, whom he accused of threatening to destroy the “very foundations” of American democracy in the city that was its cradle.

In Philadelphia, PA, east, he lamented that “Donald Trump and the ‘MAGA Republicans’ represent extremism that threatens the very foundations of our democracy.”

The former president and those who espouse the ideology summed up in “Make America Great Again” “do not respect the Constitution. They don’t believe in the rule of law. They don’t recognize the will of the people,” the Democratic president said in a speech that the White House promised would be “of great importance.”

Behind him, lit against the night sky, was Independence Hall, the red brick building where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were adopted.

The 79-year-old Democratic leader, who gave his first campaign speech there when he ran for president, is well aware that Pennsylvania, the state in which Philadelphia is located, is likely to be key in the midterm elections in November. And, consequently, the rest of his term.

The speech by the leader of the Democratic Party reflects his intention to dramatize the upcoming midterm elections, which traditionally do not favor the party represented in the White House. His goal is to turn them more or less into a referendum on Donald Trump.

Representatives of the far right “take the rage. They feed on chaos. They live not in the light of the truth, but in the darkness of a lie,” said the head of state, who wants to electrify the electoral audience of the Democrats and convince the vacillators.

Joe Biden has already used the campaign refrain about “fighting” for the “soul of America”, albeit in a much softer atmosphere, about reconciliation, about calls for unity.

The former senator, a veteran of American politics, has long touted the benefits of working with well-meaning Republicans. But not Thursday night.

“Not all Republicans support this extreme ideology,” he acknowledged, before drawing another arrow from his quiver: “There is no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, led and intimidated by Donald Trump” and his followers.

Denouncing the real estate mogul’s constant and baseless attacks on the credibility of the 2020 and 2024 election results, Joe Biden said “you can’t only love your country when you’re winning.”

Hours after Donald Trump promised on Thursday to pardon those convicted of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the federal Capitol, the Democratic president said “there is no place for political violence in America,” insisting that challenging the results elections will lead to “chaos”. “.

When during a speech a group of his political opponents gathered near the stage chanted “To hell with Joe Biden”, the president retorted: “It is their right to be outraged. We have a democracy.”

However, he was tempted to comment, “They never let good manners drown them.”

Polls

If the midterm elections were held today, 47% of voters would vote Democrat and 44% Republican, according to a Wall Street Journal poll released last week. In March, the Republicans led by five points.

Thus, Democrats can dream of success in the midterm elections, which will renew the composition of the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. Of course, public opinion polls do not provide any certainty, and in American political life, two months equals an eternity.

The political debate has shifted since the beginning of the summer. Inflation slowed down somewhat, and Joe Biden managed to implement a series of reforms and announce the death of the al-Qaeda leader as a result of a US airstrike in Kabul. Which weakened two big axes of the Republican campaign – purchasing power and the ability to govern the oldest president ever elected in US history.

Several polls show that issues that favor Democrats, such as abortion rights and Social Security, are gaining traction, while Republicans are increasingly perceived as reactionary by parts of the electorate.

In their first reaction on Thursday, the Republicans tried to turn the debate back to issues more favorable to them.

“There is nothing in the soul of America,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, who, after a short break, returned to the ranks of Trump’s most loyal allies. “Americans are suffering because of your policies. Rapidly rising inflation. Rampant crime. The rise of terrorism. Broken border. Stop preaching,” he added, addressing President Biden.

Joe Biden recently accused Donald Trump supporters of an ideology he called “semi-fascism.” The term sparked outrage in the conservative camp, who accused it of stirring up controversy.

Kevin McCarthy, the Republican who is being nominated for the key House speakership, yesterday accused President Biden of “demonizing” nothing more and nothing less than “millions of hard-working, law-abiding Americans.”

Source: RES-IPE