Key Points
- The US president has accused the Republican allies of Donald Trump of undermining the nation's democracy.
- Joe Biden urged voters to reject extremism ahead of November's midterm elections.
United States President Joe Biden has charged the Republican allies of Donald Trump with undermining the country's democracy as he urged voters to reject extremism ahead of November's midterm elections.
Mr Biden accused politicians and others devoted to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda led by former US president Trump as willing to overturn democratic elections, ignore the Constitution and "determined to take this country backwards" to a time without rights to abortion, privacy, contraception or same-sex marriage.
"Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic," Mr Biden said. "As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favour to pretend otherwise."
The prime-time speech in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, marked a sharp turn for Mr Biden as midterm congressional elections approach.
Aides say the president is increasingly concerned about anti-democratic trends in the Republican Party and sees a need to jump into this year's election fight and recast the stakes of his own 2024 re-election bid.
After spending much of 2022 trying to combat high inflation at home and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and enduring two bouts of COVID-19 over the summer, Mr Biden has in recent days repeatedly lashed out at Trump-aligned Republicans.
His remarks on Thursday denouncing political violence and urging bipartisan compromise came after speeches in recent days where he condemned the MAGA philosophy as "semi-fascism" and assailed Republican threats against the FBI .
In the latest on the case, Mr Trump is asking that an outside party be named to reassess the government's screening of the sensitive documents to determine if any were protected by government secrecy protocols or were "highly personal information" that should be returned.
House of Representatives Republican leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday accused Mr Biden of ignoring crime and inflation to criticise his fellow citizens.
"Instead of trying to bring our country together to solve these challenges, President Biden has chosen to divide, demean and disparage his fellow Americans," Mr McCarthy said in Mr Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. "Why? Simply because they disagree with his policies."
A Democratic fundraiser said donors are closely watching Mr Biden's performance over the next few months to gauge whether to back him in a 2024 presidential run.
Some have already decided that Mr Biden, 79, should step aside to make way for fresh leadership, while others want to see if he can lead the party effectively.
"If we can pull it off and retain the Senate, then there will be enough voices saying he has earned it and pave the way for re-election," said a senior Democratic official. "If we don't, the overwhelming sentiment will be 'pass the torch.'"
Free elections in danger?
Mr Biden spoke in Philadelphia from behind bullet-proof glass and within earshot of chanting Trump-supporting protesters. He made his remarks at a venue meant to signal the historical significance of his appeal, near Independence Hall, where the US Declaration of Independence and Constitution were adopted.
Some historians and legal scholars have cast the stakes in starker terms than Mr Biden's political future, saying free elections and commitment to the rule of law hang in the balance.
Mr Biden accused politicians and others devoted to the Make America Great Again agenda led by former US president Donald Trump (pictured) as willing to overturn democratic elections Source: AAP / Julia Nikhinson
Mr Biden alluded to these concerns, saying "I will not stand by and watch elections in this country be stolen by people who simply refuse to accept that they lost."
The speech echoed President Biden's signature 2020 campaign pledge to restore the "soul of the nation" and, by implication, purge the values associated with Mr Trump. In the nearly two years since he was elected Republican voters have mostly backed candidates aligned with former president Trump; more than half say they believe Mr Trump rightfully won the election.
Confronted by threats after Mr Trump's loss, one in five election workers polled this year said they may quit before the next presidential election.
- With AFP
