On the eve of the third anniversary of the Capitol attack, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, delivered a speech this Friday that centered threats to democracy and the potential return of Donald Trump to power as the defining issue of his message.
It was a bold intervention, even though the Democrat had announced nine months earlier that he would run again and has already held campaign events and fundraisers. The speech signaled the start of a presidential race that now seems likely to pit Biden against Trump again, with a firm and condemnatory tone directed at the Republican’s actions and plans.
A symbolic environment
Nothing was left to chance aside from the weekend storm expected along the coast, which moved the discussion forward a day. Biden chose a training center a short drive from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, a site steeped in Revolutionary War memory. There, troops under George Washington endured the brutal winter of 1777 and 1778, and later battles forged a disciplined, reinforced force that helped secure victory over the British five years later.
Biden’s emphasis on the location and the Washington legacy, which also underlined the January 2021 insurrection and shaped his campaign, was deliberate. He drew a line from Washington to democracy as a sacred cause, insisting this is not a mere rhetorical question. Whether democracy endures in America is the most pressing issue today; this is what the 2024 elections are about.
That message also echoed in his first campaign ad of the year, appropriately titled Why. In it he warns of an extremist movement that lacks the core beliefs of democracy and describes it as dangerous.
Washington served another purpose too, providing a contrast between Biden and Trump. Washington helped guide a peaceful transfer of power, a standard Trump rejected after his defeats in 2016 and 2020 and his attempts to overturn the results, which culminated in the Capitol attack.
Criticism of Trump and the MAGA movement
Biden spoke directly about the events of January 6, as his advisers urged, and as he has warned in past speeches about risks to democracy. He described Trump’s actions as bluntly harmful and pointed to statements that damaged him, calling them incompetent. He underscored the dangers to democracy posed by Trump and his followers, noting that while some Republicans and Fox News commentators criticized him at the time, political and financial pressures over time distorted reality in support of MAGA. He urged Democrats, independents, and moderate Republicans to stand up for democratic norms.
Biden needed the message to land clearly. He referenced 14 of 91 charges against the former president and cited recent polling that shows a persistent belief among Americans that the FBI was involved in the attack, with the share holding that view dropping from 60% to 53% over two years; among Republicans, only 14% share that belief, and more than 70% of conservatives want to move past this episode.
The President also challenged the strategy of his rival, who repeats his own accusations and frames Biden as the real threat to democracy. He noted Trump’s rhetoric, including labeling his opponent as a rebel after a court decision to keep him from running in a primary, a move Trump challenged up to the Supreme Court.
The Republican candidate has pitched pardons for those convicted of assault if elected and has warned of autocratic plans for a second term. He was set to hold two rallies in Iowa this weekend, with the first caucuses of the Republican primary scheduled for next week. What he would address in those campaign speeches remained unclear.
Other challenges
Biden faces additional hurdles beyond a potential rival. His approval ratings have hovered below 40%, and questions about his age, health, and fitness as he nears 81 contribute to public skepticism about progress on the economy. The coalition that brought him to the Oval Office has frayed, especially among youth and minority communities, affecting his stance on Israel’s war in Gaza.
This context helps explain why the first major speech of the year was held in Pennsylvania, a state Biden won in 2020 but could lose in November. The timing and location also reflect strategic choices, including a later appearance in South Carolina, home to a key voting bloc on the Democratic side. There, a separate event will launch a broader push on reproductive freedoms, a central issue for Democrats in the recent midterm and upcoming elections.
Vice President Kamala Harris did not accompany Biden to Valley Forge, but she has a campaign event planned in South Carolina, signaling a coordinated effort to emphasize rights and progressive priorities ahead of the next primary season.
In this political moment, the focus remains on defending democratic norms against extremism and ensuring that every vote counts. The nation watches the evolving contest as both sides frame the stakes and mobilize supporters for the road ahead, with voters weighing economic health, national security, and the future of civil rights in a rapidly changing landscape. This is the backdrop against which the 2024 campaign will unfold, and the outcomes will shape the nation for years to come. This assessment is supported by ongoing reporting from major outlets that track public opinion and political developments in real time.