In the run-up to the midterm elections, Biden accused pro-Trump Republicans of supporting violence and hatred.
As the US president spoke to Democratic supporters at his first campaign rally before the crucial midterm elections, Joe Biden attacked radical sections inside the Republican Party.
The need to protect the nation from the "semi-fascism" of Donald Trump's Republicans and stop those "extreme" Republicans from taking control of Congress in the November 8 election was emphasized by Biden in remarks he made to party supporters in the state of Maryland on Thursday.
At a DNC speech at Richard Montgomery High School, when the attendance was beyond capacity, Biden said, "It's not an exaggeration now you need to vote to truly save democracy again."
“You have to choose,” Biden added. “Will we be a country that moves forward or a country that moves backward?”
Casting the Republicans under ex-president Trump’s sway as a party of “anger, violence, hate and division,” Biden said, “We’ve chosen a different path forward: the future of unity, hope and optimism.
“This fall, there will be a choice between these two visions. We must take our case to the American people and be crystal clear about it,” he said.
Earlier, in remarks ahead of the speech, Biden likened Trump’s Make America Great Again or MAGA brand as “extreme”.
“It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the – I’m going to say something, it’s like semi-fascism,” Biden said.
“You need to vote to literally save democracy again,” he then added.
The Republican National Committee called Biden’s comments “despicable.”
“Biden forced Americans out of their jobs, transferred money from working families to Harvard lawyers, and sent our country into a recession while families can’t afford gas and groceries,” said spokesperson Nathan Brand. “Democrats don’t care about suffering Americans – they never did.”
The drama surrounding Trump's disagreement with the Justice Department and the FBI over his allegedly illegal removal of top-secret materials from the White House to his Florida golf club property, on the other hand, has diverted Republicans' attention.
Shifting Polls
The fact that opposition parties almost usually punish the president's party in midterm elections is one of the reasons the Republicans were anticipating big victories.
Another is that Biden is so unpopular following a difficult year that was marked by numerous new COVID variations and the biggest inflation in 40 years. Since late June, his average approval rating has been stuck at 40%, making him just as unpopular as Trump before him.
Republican party leaders predicted a "red wave" to sweep away "blue" Democrats after the redistricting of House districts, which was widely believed to favor the Republicans and essentially practically ensure them many extra seats.
While still poor, Biden's personal polling is also starting to improve.
His approval rating, which was 44 percent on Thursday, was the highest in a year. According to Gallup, this is actually more favorable polling for an August before midterm elections than it was for Donald Trump in 2018 or for Barack Obama in 2014.