In a recent interview aired on Tuesday, President Joe Biden pointed to his predecessor, Donald Trump, as the primary threat to democracy in the United States. Biden highlighted Trump’s actions during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and his subsequent calls to release individuals involved in the attack from prison.
During the interview with Univision, taped at the White House last week, Biden emphasized Trump’s rhetoric and behavior, particularly his characterization of the Capitol rioters as “political heroes” and “patriots.” Biden condemned Trump’s statements about minority populations and expressed concern about the attitude displayed by Trump, stating that such behavior is unprecedented in history.
“Donald Trump talks, uses phrases like you’re gonna – eviscerate the Constitution, he’s going to be a dictator on day one. The idea that he would sit in the office – and I’ll show you before you leave – off the Oval Office and watch for hours the attack on the Capitol, and the destruction and the mayhem and people were killed, the police officers who died, and call them political heroes, to call them patriots, and say that if he gets elected he’s going to free them all, because they’re being held illegally?” Biden said in the interview with Univision, which was taped at the White House last week.
“And think of the things he says, look at the way he talks about minority populations, Hispanics, talking about them being — anyway. It’s just, I can’t think of any other time in my lifetime, in history that’s occurred, that you’ve had somebody that had this kind of attitude,” Biden continued. “He says he’s going to be a dictator on day one? No one doesn’t believe him.”
Biden underscored his belief that Trump’s return to the White House would pose a significant threat to democracy, emphasizing images from the January 6 events in his campaign messaging. He has consistently argued against Trump’s rhetoric and actions, presenting them as detrimental to democratic principles.
Trump, on the other hand, has used the events of January 6 to rally his supporters, portraying the rioters as individuals who love their country and have been unfairly imprisoned.
The issue of preserving democracy has been central to Biden’s reelection campaign, with his team highlighting it as a key focus. Biden has repeatedly denounced Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and has voiced outrage over reports that Trump watched the Capitol riot unfold on television without taking immediate action to denounce the violence.
