Speaking at the historic Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, President Joe Biden unequivocally condemned white supremacy and issued a sharp rebuke against those trying to rewrite history,he criticized former President Donald Trump for “glorifying” instead of condemning political violence. Biden’s emotional address, underscored by the memory of the 2015 racist church shooting, served as a powerful reminder of America’s struggle with racism.
“It’s a poison,” Biden asserted regarding white supremacy. “Throughout our history, it’s ripped this nation apart. This has no place in America. Not today, tomorrow, or ever.” His speech at Mother Emanuel,criticized former President Donald Trump for “glorifying” instead of condemning political violence.
Claiming no doubt falsely, that he was “reading something” about the Civil War, Trump said,”See, there was something I think could have been negotiated, to be honest with you. I think you could have negotiated that.” He went on to suggest Abraham Lincoln allowed the war to happen so that he would be famous. “Abraham Lincoln, of course, if he negotiated it, you probably wouldn’t even know who Abraham Lincoln was.”The media dutifully contacted historians, who debunked this falsehood, highlighting the numerous attempts.
The former President’s actions, including his refusal to condemn white supremacists at Charlottesville and his ‘Lost Cause’ rhetoric, Biden highlighted Trump’s numerous failed attempts in court to overturn the 2020 election in a bid to retain power, as well as the former president’s support of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
Biden and his team argue that it’s all connected: Trump’s failure to denounce the white nationalists’ actions at the rally. Trump has also echoed language previously used by Adolf Hitler, claiming that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country,” while denying knowledge of Hitler’s similar words.Trump still insists he won the 2020 election and maintains that the Capitol rioters were patriotic, while referring to those in prison as “hostages.”
Frankly, this is a more rational explanation than that Trump has some Svengali-style hold on his followers. They worship Trump for the same reason they worship Robert E. Lee: Not because of any intrinsically appealing qualities to either man, but because both are avatars for white supremacy. It’s why Trump supporters were willing to risk arrest in order to overturn an election, but have mostly ignored his unsubtle pleas to riot to prevent criminal indictments. They are in this to maintain a racialized hierarchy in the U.S., and not because they just really like a man who smells like a butt.
Relevant articles:
– Both Biden and Trump speeches make the stakes clear: 2024 is a battle over white supremacy There is a reason why Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis pander to racists with false histories of the Civil War
– WATCH: Biden condemns ‘poison’ of white supremacy in campaign speech at South Carolina church
– Biden assails Trump for trying to turn election ‘loss into a lie’
– Trump team argues killing rivals is covered by immunity: Live