President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday (September 1) in his primetime “Soul of the Nation” speech that was more about eviscerating MAGA Republicans than anything else. The message was clear: Those whose beliefs align with the 45th president’s are a threat to the US. Biden insisted, “There’s no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. And that is a threat to this country.”
Warning of MAGA Republicans
The president pointed out that he was delivering his words “from sacred ground” at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA. “This is where America made its Declaration of Independence to the world,” Biden exclaimed. He proceeded to state that now is the time to save democracy – by overruling those disruptive MAGA supporters.
He stood at the podium and proclaimed that “equality and democracy are under assault.” Although this time Mr. Biden didn’t call Republicans “semi-fascists,” as he did in another recent speech, some might consider his words much more insulting. While touting the need for unity and fighting together to protect democracy, the president said:
“Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic.”
Although he did concede that he wasn’t referring to every Republican, at least not the “mainstream” ones, Biden declared:
“MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law, they do not recognize the will of the people.
“They promote authoritarian leaders, and they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country.”
When it comes to defending and respecting the Constitution, some would argue against Biden’s words and instead insist the opposite is true – that the left are the destructive and disrespectful party regarding the nation’s founding documents. Liberty Nation Senior Political Analyst Tim Donner, in his article the “Left Finally Admits It Wants to End the Constitution,” explained:
“Leftists have long argued for – here it comes – a ‘living constitution.’ Translated, that means essentially relaxing the standards for amending the law of the land anytime the winds of political change are blowing – or even when a new presidential administration takes power with beliefs antithetical to its predecessor.”
“This is a nation that honors our Constitution. We do not reject it,” the president proclaimed, which, again, seems to be in contradiction to the left’s actions. But Mr. Biden wasn’t finished trying to tarnish Republican reputations. He then went on to another of his favorite topics: the January 6 Capitol riot. He exclaimed:
“They look at the mob that stormed the United States Capitol on January 6th – brutally attacking law enforcement – not as insurrectionists who placed a dagger at the throat of our democracy, but they look at it as patriots. And they see their MAGA failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections.”
Fanning the Flames
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Biden went on to say that now is the time to decide the country’s future, whether we “choose to move forward or backward.” He continued, asking whether America wants to be “a nation of hope and unity and optimism, or a nation of fear, division, and of darkness?” In case the message seems vague, the president was attaching the Trump movement to the darker side of his prediction. “MAGA Republicans have made their choice,” he intoned. “They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadows of lies.”
But Biden still wasn’t finished with his anti-MAGA tirade. After telling the audience the nation needs to join together in unity and that “History tells us that blind loyalty to a single leader and a willingness to engage in political violence is fatal in democracy,” he had one more final insult to throw at the right:
“MAGA Republicans look at America and see carnage and darkness and despair. They spread fear and lies – lies told for profit and power.”
It appears the purpose of President Biden’s speech was not to unify America, but to set out a platform that could tip the balance of power in Congress. Last Thursday at a rally in Rockville, Maryland, the commander-in-chief made his specific pitch, saying, “If we elect two more senators, we keep the House … we’re going to get a lot of unfinished business done.” This was almost certainly a reference to his two truculent senators who refuse to remove the filibuster, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).
This Hail Mary gambit to alienate and denigrate MAGA Republicans is a risky strategy, but if Biden is able to convince enough swing voters to either stay home or vote Democrat out of fear of association with those whom he terms “semi-fascists,” the rhetoric – at least for his party – will have been worth it. Unity and social cohesion be damned.
