Joe Biden warns that ‘extremist’ Donald Trump is putting US democracy in peril
- The US president issued one of his most dire warnings yet about Donald Trump, more than a year out from the 2024 election
- Biden’s address comes at a critical time in his re-election bid, as he battles low approval ratings and concerns his age
US President Joe Biden launched a blistering personal attack on “extremist” Donald Trump, accusing his likely 2024 challenger of plotting to subvert the US constitution if he wins a return to power next year.
The Democrat said in a speech in the battleground state of Arizona that Republican front runner Trump was driven by “vengeance and vindictiveness”, and he urged Americans to stand up for democracy before it was too late.
The speech came as House Republicans launched impeachment inquiry hearings into the 80-year-old president, based on unproven allegations that he lied about his son Hunter’s business dealings.
“We should all remember: democracies don’t have to die at the end of a rifle,” Biden said on Thursday. “They can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up, or condemn threats to democracy.”
In this speech Biden finally took off the gloves after months in which he has largely steered clear of any direct comment on the multiple criminal indictments against his hard-right populist predecessor.