President Joe Biden delivered a speech on the threats facing democracy on Wednesday night, less than a week from the midterm elections. CNBC reports that the president had been considering delivering the speech for a while, but was prompted to do so after an attack on the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republicans denying election results.
Biden calls out Trump’s ‘big lie’ as the source of violence
The speech focused on the nation’s political system and its future. Biden criticized some midterm candidates for not committing to accepting the results of the elections they are participating in and called out his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, for denying the results of the 2020 election, according to The New York Times.
Biden blames the attack on American democracy on the former president’s refusal to accept his defeat, calling Trump’s claims a “big lie.” He recalled the events of Jan. 6, 2021, after Trump’s loss, when election workers were threatened physically and subject to menacing calls because of the results.
“It’s a lie that fueled the dangerous rise in political violence and voter intimidation over the past two years,” Biden said, per the Times.
The president stated that he believes that those who call for violence and intimidation are a minority in the nation, but they are loud and determined, per CNN. Before the speech, advisors said that Biden felt it was essential for him to condemn threats and violence, like the attack on the Pelosi home.
Democracy is on the ballot
During the speech, Biden told audiences that “democracy is on the ballot for all of us.” According to CBS News, he told voters to consider if their decision would preserve or threaten democracy.
However, the election’s influence on democracy doesn’t stop at the ballot, according to Biden. What happens after the results have been called also has an impact on the nation’s political system.
“This is also the first election since the events of Jan. 6 when the armed, angry mob stormed the U.S. Capitol,” Biden said in his speech.
Biden urged voters to be patient as election results come in, and urged candidates to be accepting of the end result. He told candidates to remember that they cannot just love their country only when they win.
“In our bones, we know democracy is at risk. But we also know this. It’s within our power, each and every one of us, to preserve our democracy,” Biden said.