In an evening address in Philadelphia on Thursday, President Joe Biden issued his fiercest criticism yet of Republicans and their loyalty to his predecessor Donald Trump, claiming that they excel in disorder and warning that their efforts to destroy democracy may become violent.
Biden declared at the historic Independence Hall, "They live not in the light of truth, but in the shadow of lies."
It was Biden's forceful and immediate appeal to Americans months before the midterms, according to CNN. Despite being touted as an official presentation, Biden's words gave a general idea of his autumn campaign strategy.
While attempting to strike a balance between his recent successes and optimism about the country's future, Biden created a bleak picture of his political rivals, alleging that Trump and his supporters threaten the entire American venture.
Just moments after entering the platform, he attacked his predecessor and said that the upcoming elections would provide Americans with an existential decision.
Biden said: "As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under "We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise."
Biden tried to distinguish the Republican Party as a whole from Trump's most fervent supporters. He tried to end on a more optimistic note by claiming that voters still could control the nation's worst forces.
But at the core of Biden's speech was a warning against "an extreme that undermines the fundamental underpinnings of our nation," as he put it.
"MAGA forces are determined to take this country backward. "Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy. No right to contraception, no right to marry who you love," Biden said, pointing out cultural issues Democrats believe can help them win in November.
He added that MAGA forces prefer leaders that are dictatorial and "fanned the flames of political violence" in the country.
According to administration sources, Biden decided the timing was appropriate to provide a more serious, serious reflection on what he perceives as increasing anti-democratic movements emerging across the nation after criticizing Republicans for what he labels "MAGA extremism" and "semi-fascism" during the last week.
War For The Soul of America
The president's speech emphasized his effort to depict the forthcoming legislative elections as part of "the continuous war for the Soul of the Nation." The president used similar rhetoric during his 2020 presidential campaign and looks primed to deploy it again ahead of the 2022 midterms.
In light of the forthcoming elections, Democrats more widely seem to be shifting their focus toward criticism of Trump and social issues like abortion, which have gained relevance among voters, according to a Fox News Poll conducted last month.
They claim that GOP policies on these matters pose grave dangers to the rights of Americans.
Meanwhile, Republicans assert that the economy and rising inflation are the two most important midterm topics.
Given the substantial rise in costs throughout Biden's presidency, inflation remained by far the top concern for respondents in the same Fox News Poll.
Republicans Fight Back
Before Biden's speech on Thursday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, slammed Democrats on a wide range of subjects, including inflation, in his speech, per Fox News.
McCarthy asked the audience at a speech in Scranton, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia, "How many of you can afford to give up one month of your income? I suspect not many. But if you had a stable wage for the previous year, you've had more than one month of your income taken away."
He added: "Democrats have had complete power in Washington... So let me ask you this: How have they done?"
Even though there was no proof of massive fraud, McCarthy voted on January 6, 2021, to invalidate the results of the 2020 presidential election.
McCarthy said that Trump was to blame for the disturbance after the attack on the Capitol, and he even informed friends that he intended to ask the president to step down. But he soon changed his mind and made up with the previous president, whose backing he would need if he ever wanted to be House Speaker.
Republicans are still expected to win a majority in the House next year, but after a string of legislative wins in Congress, Democrats are gaining ground.
The Supreme Court's decision in June to overturn federal abortion rights has energized Democratic voters and helped them win several special House elections this year, most recently in Alaska and upstate New York. In November, the party is optimistic that the momentum will persist, according to a HuffPost article.