President Biden railed against Trump-allied Republicans Rockville, Maryland, on Thursday night in his first political rally speech in the leadup to November’s midterm elections.
Biden’s comments that “MAGA Republicans” are a “threat” to democracy and other criticisms of former President Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement are some of his most pointed yet.
Biden’s comments at a donor event for Democrats earlier in the evening that “it’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something — it’s like semi-fascism” raised the ire of some Republicans.
Republican National Committee spokesperson Nathan Brand in a statement to news outlets called Biden’s comments “despicable.”
“The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security,” Biden said. “They’re a threat to our very democracy. They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace … political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.
“This is why in this moment, those of you who love this country — Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans — we must be stronger,” he added. Biden also told the cheering crowd that in 2020, “you and 81 million Americans voted to save our democracy” — and “that’s why Donald Trump isn’t just a former president, he is a defeated former president.”