According to Mediaite, President Joe Biden delivered a forceful condemnation of former President Donald Trump during a closed-door fundraising reception at the St. Regis Washington, D.C. hotel. The president’s remarks, characterized by some of his sharpest attacks of the campaign, covered various topics, with a particularly aggressive segment focusing on Trump’s behavior on January 6 and recent comments likened to Nazi rhetoric.
Biden began by recalling his initial concerns about the state of democracy when he first ran for president, emphasizing that the events of January 6 had validated those concerns. He accused Trump of sitting in the Oval Office, watching the Capitol attack unfold on television, and failing to intervene as a mob threatened the Capitol Police and his own vice president.
Drawing historical parallels, Biden pointed out that Trump became the first losing presidential candidate in history who refused to accept the will of the people, as evidenced by his absence at Biden’s inauguration. The president humorously remarked that he wasn’t disappointed by Trump’s absence and suggested that the former president might not show up for his next inauguration either.
Biden then shifted to Trump’s recent statements, expressing concern about Trump’s motives. He highlighted Trump’s talk of seeking “revenge” and “retribution,” noting that these sentiments were not aligned with serving the American people. Biden raised alarm over Trump’s call for the “termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” emphasizing the potential implications for federal trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.
WHEN I FIRST RAN FOR PRESIDENT, YOU MAY RECALL, I SAID AT THE INDEPENDENCE HALL UP IN PHILADELPHIA THAT I THOUGHT DEMOCRACY WAS AT STAKE. AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS EXAGGERATING. BUT I DON’T THINK ANYBODY THINKS THAT ANYMORE. I REALLY DON’T.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY THE 6TH. TRUMP SAT IN THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM OFF OF THE OVAL OFFICE FOR HOURS, WATCHING IT ALL UNFOLD ON TELEVISION AS A MOB ATTACKED THE CAPITOL POLICE AND DESECRATED THE CAPITOL, AS THE MOB THREATENED THE LIFE OF HIS OWN VICE PRESIDENT, BECAUSE THE VICE PRESIDENT REFUSED TO VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION AND DO WHAT HE WANTED DONE.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT BECAME OF THAT FIRST LOSING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN HISTORY WHO REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. HE DIDN’T EVEN SHOW UP FOR MY INAUGURATION. I CAN’T SAY IT DISAPPOINTED ME. (LAUGHTER.)
BUT THINK ABOUT IT: ONLY TWO OTHER PRESIDENTS IN ALL OF AMERICAN HISTORY, IN THE MIDDLE OF WARS — WARS NORTH AND SOUTH — DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR THE INAUGURATION OF THE NEXT PRESIDENT. MY GUESS IS HE’S NOT GOING TO SHOW UP ON MY NEXT INAUGURATION EITHER. (LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE.)
AND HEAR HIS WORDS TODAY. HE SAYS HE’S RUNNING NOT TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA BUT TO GET “REVENGE” AND “RETRIBUTION.” GOD BLESS ME. (LAUGHTER.)
HE SAID IT’S TIME — AND I QUOTE, “THE TERMINATION OF ALL RULES, REGULATIONS, AND ARTICLES, EVEN THOSE FOUND IN THE CONSTITUTION.”
HE’S NOT — I’M NOT MAKING THESE WORDS UP. YOU HEAR IT. THAT’S WHAT HE’S SAYING.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS WHEN IT COMES TO UPHOLDING — UPHOLDING FEDERAL TRUST AND TREATY OBLIGATIONS TO — TO TRIBAL NATIONS? I’M SERIOUS.
HE CALLED THOSE WHO OPPOSE HIM “VERMIN,” LANGUAGE THAT ECHOES WHAT WE HEARD IN NAZI GERMANY IN THE ‘30S. IT HAS A SP- — HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD ANY POLITICAL PERSON REFER TO ANOTHER OPPONENT AS “VERMIN,” OTHER THAN WHEN YOU READ YOUR HISTORY ON THE — DURING THE NAZI ERA?
HE THREATENED TO USE THE AMERICAN MILITARY — THE AMERICAN MILITARY ON THE STREETS OF AMERICA TO GO AFTER HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS — THE INSURRECTION ACT.
He called, again, to get the Affordable Care Act, which supports Indian Health Services, eliminated. This will be the 51st time they tried it. No, I’m serious. I know that sounds bizarre.
The president continued by condemning Trump’s use of derogatory language, such as calling opponents “vermin,” which he likened to language heard in Nazi Germany. Biden also criticized Trump’s threat to use the American military on the streets of America against political opponents through the Insurrection Act. Additionally, he highlighted Trump’s repeated attempts to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, which supports Indian Health Services, and remarked on the unusual nature of such attempts.
Biden’s impassioned remarks offered a strong critique of Trump’s post-presidential actions and rhetoric, emphasizing the potential consequences for democracy and underscoring his commitment to upholding constitutional principles.
