Biden Slams Trump’s White House Demolition Plan.
“I knew Trump was going to aim a wrecking ball at the nation, but I have to admit, I didn’t know there was a wrecking ball,” Biden said at a gala hosted by the Nebraska Democratic Party in Omaha, referring to Trump’s demolition of the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom, according to CNN.
“This is a perfect symbol of his presidency. Trump has not only aimed a wrecking ball at the nation’s Capitol, but at the Constitution, at the rule of law, at our democracy itself.”
The former US president went on to mock Trump’s repeated claims that his second term had ushered in a “golden age” for the country, and pointed to the gold decorations that have been brought into the Oval Office since the beginning of Trump’s second term, saying, “The only gold there is is the stuff he hangs from the fireplace.”
In another part of his speech, Biden directly addressed Trump, saying, “You are acting in a way that frankly embarrasses us as a nation.”
He also criticized Trump for prioritizing the interests of wealthy allies over the American people, stressing, “You work for us, Mr. President. We don’t work for you. You work for us, not just billionaires and millionaires. I am angry.”
The former Democratic president then attacked the Trump administration’s efforts to cut funding for Obamacare, and, referring to the end of his first round of radiation therapy for cancer, praised doctors and nurses in the United States, saying, “I thank God for doctors and nurses and the incredible advances we are making in cancer research. Now Trump and his Republican friends are cutting government funding for health care and making it more expensive for almost everyone.”
Biden’s remarks come as the longest government shutdown in U.S. history has focused on bipartisan disagreements, particularly over health care subsidies. The shutdown is largely due to Democrats’ opposition to a Republican-led funding bill that would not extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
Biden also weighed in on Tuesday’s sweeping Democratic victory, shouting, “The Democratic Party is back!”
On Tuesday, Democrats made sweeping gains, with Zahran Mamdani elected mayor of New York City, while Abigail Spanberger and Mickey Sherrill won gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. California also passed a measure to put Democrats on the ballot to support congressional redistricting.
Biden called the victory a message from the American people to Trump and his supporters and a condemnation of the policies of the US President.
Biden warns of the fragility of American democracy
The former US president continued to repeat his campaign slogan from last year, in which he described American democracy as “fragile” and urged his supporters to “work to defend it.”
“Democracy is not a given. Even in America, there is no guarantee of democracy. You have to work. We have to elect leaders who believe in democracy, who will defend it and protect it.”
He concluded by emphasizing, “I know this nation and the American people. And I know this: no one, no one, not even the president, can destroy our democracy if we stand together and fight for it.”