The president appeared in Philadelphia where the Constitution was written to deliver his most direct attack on Republicans to date.
Biden gave the nationally broadcast speech Thursday from the Independence National Historical Park in downtown Philadelphia, where the U.S. Constitution was crafted in 1787. The address, which White House officials called the"battle for the soul of the nation," saw Biden maintain his increasingly combative posture to the Republican Party and comes on the heels of recent legislative wins and a rise in his poll numbers.
"This is where we set in motion the most extraordinary experiment of self-government, the world has ever known. "We the people are burning inside of each of us. The flame of liberty that was led here in Independence Hall. The flame the lit our way through abolition, the Civil War, suffrage, the Great Depression. World Wars, civil rights."Now in our time—as we build an America that is more prosperous, free and just—that is the work of my presidency. A mission I believe in with my whole soul."Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal.
"And they're working right now, as I speak in state after state, to give power to the side elections in America. To partisans and cronies, empowering election deniers and undermine democracy itself. "They see their MAGA failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections."This time, they're determined to succeed in thwarting the will of the people.
"I believe America is at an inflection point, one of those moments that determine the shape of everything that's to come after. And now America must choose to move forward or to move backwards. To build a future or obsess about the past. To be a nation of hope and unity and optimism or a nation of fear ... and of darkness.
"This is a nation that rejects violence as a political tool. We do not encourage violence. We are still Americans who believe in honesty and decency and respect for others. Patriotism. Liberty. Justice for all. Hope. And possibility. "Today, there are dangers around us, we can't allow them to prevail. We hear, you heard it: more and more talk about violence as an acceptable political tool in this country. It can never be an acceptable tool.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we can't be pro-insurrectionist and pro-American. They're incompatible. We can't allow violence to be normalized in this country. It's wrong. We have to reject political violence with all the moral clarity and conviction this nation can muster. Now, we can't let the integrity of our elections be undermined, for that is a path to chaos.
"As your president, I will defend our democracy with every fiber of my being. And I'm asking everyone to join. "We have more to go. I believe we can build a better America. So we passed the biggest infrastructure investments since President Dwight D. Eisenhower. And we now embark on a decade of rebuilding the nation's roads, bridges, highways, ports, water systems, high-speed internet, railroads.
"No matter what the white supremacists and extremists say, I made a bet on you, the American people, and that bet is paying off, proving that from the darkness of Charlottesville, of COVID, of gun violence, of insurrection, we can see the light. "I ran for president because I believe we were in a battle for the soul of this nation. I still believe that to be true. I believe the soul is the breath, the life and the essence of who we are. The soul is what makes us us. The soul of America is defined by the sacred proposition that all are created equal in the image of God. That all are entitled to be treated with decency, dignity and respect. That all deserve justice and a shot and lives of prosperity and consequence.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Joe Biden Prepares Speech to Heal 'Soul of the Nation' After Demonizing Trump Supporters as 'Threat' to DemocracyBiden is preparing to deliver a major speech on Thursday promising to heal the “soul of the nation” even as he continues stoking fears about supporters of Trump as “semi-fascist.”
Read more »
Joe Biden’s new normalcyNoah Rothman: Dressing up a boilerplate campaign trail speech as if it was an address about the fate of the nation — in a midterm election year, no less — strikes a tone that isn’t matched by America’s circumstances. 📸 Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images
Read more »
Biden delivers remarks on the battle for the ‘soul’ of the nation: LIVE UPDATESPresident Biden Thursday is delivering a speech on the 'soul of the nation,' in the wake of recent comments he made accusing Republicans of representing 'semi-fascism.'
Read more »
Biden to deliver prime-time speech on ‘battle’ for democracyPresident Joe Biden will deliver a prime-time address “on the continued battle for the soul of the nation” Thursday outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the White House announced Monday.
Read more »