Two months before the legislative elections, the president hardens his message in a speech to the nation in a clear electoral key The president of the United States, Joe Biden, used to avoid mentioning his predecessor by name, even when he was denouncing or harshly criticizing him, from his attacks on the integrity of the elections even for his role in inciting the storming of the Capitol. Not anymore. This Thursday, in a speech to the country from the gates of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, Biden has assured that “equality and democracy are under attack” and has launched a direct and fierce attack Donald Trump and the Republicans who continue under his leadership. “They represent an extremism that threatens the foundations of the republic,” said Biden, who has come to call them agents “of chaos.” Although the Democrat has marked differences between moderate Republicans and extremists, he has assured that “there is no doubt that the The Republican Party today is dominated, directed and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans”, referring to the acronym in English for the Trump slogan Make America Great Again. “That represents a threat to this country”, he also said, before remember that “history tells us that blind loyalty to a single leader and the willingness to participate in political violence is fatal to democracy”. Elections and violence Biden has made a devastating review of the actions of Trumpism, denouncing conspiracy theories and unfounded accusations of electoral fraud and assuring extremists “do not respect the Constitution, do not believe in the rule of law, do not recognize the will of the people and refuse to accept the results of the free elections. And with a sharp dart he has reminded: “You can’t love this country only when you win.” He has also forcefully denounced calls for political violence; the threats to public workers and judges, which have been extended to the FBI after the search of Trump’s residence in Mar-a-Lago, or the defense as “patriots” by Trumpism of those who stormed the Capitol (a message that reaches a few hours after Trump said Thursday on conservative radio that if he runs in 2024 and wins he will offer “a full pardon and a government apology” to those convicted of the assault, to whom he has also assured that he is giving financial support). Electoral reading Biden’s intervention was organized as a “speech to the nation” in which, according to the White House, the president was going to talk about the threats facing democracy and resumed his message of “the fight for the soul of the nation”. Two months before the legislative elections on November 8, however, it was unavoidable not to make an electoral reading. The speech, which the three general open television networks have decided not to broadcast live, has had that clear campaign component. And the president has also reviewed the legislative achievements of his mandate, from the Inflation Reduction Act to the first regulation in decades of arms control or the aid approved for veterans. Those achievements are one of the factors that have helped to improve Biden’s battered approval ratings somewhat. They are also one of the elements that have contributed to raising the optimism of the Democrats ahead of the elections. Because if control of Congress was considered lost a few months ago, now there is hope of being able to keep the Senate and, perhaps, even the House of Representatives. Abortion The two messages move Biden and the Democrats in a politically complicated balance, but it is clear that the president and his advisers believe that the rejection of Trump and the Republican Party that follows him can mobilize voters, as happened in the 2020 presidential elections What Biden has not done is speak directly about an issue that is also mobilizing many voters: the Supreme Court’s repeal of the constitutional right to abortion. But he has denounced the conservative movement, assuring that “the MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards, to a United States where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraceptives, no right to marry who you love”. Related news