On Wednesday, President Biden issued a blunt warning to the American people, stressing that nothing less than democracy is at risk and warning of political violence swirling around the upcoming midterms.
“We can’t take democracy for granted any longer,” the president said from Union Station in Washington, just blocks from the US Capitol where a mob attempted to interrupt the certification of the 2020 election.
Addressing the number of election-denier candidates, emboldened by Trump, Biden stressed the importance of turning out to vote.
“As I stand here today, there are candidates running for every level of office in America – for governor, for Congress, for attorney general, for secretary of state who won’t commit to accepting the results of the elections they’re in,” Biden said. “That is the path to chaos in America. It’s unprecedented. It’s unlawful. And it is un-American.”
Tellingly, Biden’s speech squarely placed blame on Trump for encouraging a lie — that he won the presidential election — and inciting conspiracies
“This intimidation, this violence against Democrats, Republicans and non-partisan officials just doing their jobs, is the consequence of lies told for power and profit, lies of conspiracy and malice, lies repeated over and over to generate a cycle of anger, hate, vitriol and even violence,” Biden said. “In this moment, we have to confront those lies with the truth, the very future of our nation depends on it.”
“American democracy is under attack because the defeated former president … refuses to accept the will of the people,” Biden said.
Biden added “I believe the voices excusing or calling for violence and intimidation are a distinct minority in America,” Biden said. “But they’re loud and they are determined.”