President Biden on Friday cited the memory of veterans who stormed the French beaches during the Normandy Invasion (D-Day) 80 years ago to make a case for American democracy and its role on the world stage.
Biden spoke from Pointe du Hoc, the 100-foot cliff in Normandy where Army Rangers scaled the summit under fire to turn the tide of World War II. He urged Americans to remember the selflessness and bravery of those who fought that day, and directly linked it to the global and domestic challenges the United States faces today.
“We gather here today not just to honor the men and women who showed incredible courage that day, but to hear the echoes of their voices. To make their voices heard,” Biden said. “They are convening us. And they are convening us now. They are asking us what we’re going to do. They’re not asking us to scale this cliff. They’re asking us to stay true to our American ideals.”
“My fellow Americans, I don’t believe that American greatness is a thing of the past. I just don’t want to believe it,” Biden added, a subtle criticism of Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Biden did not mention former President Trump by name in his speech, which lasted less than 15 minutes, but his comments were a clear allusion to issues he has focused on in his reelection campaign, including protecting democracy from threats posed by Trump and preserving America’s role as an influential nation that can rally allies on the world stage.
“The hardest thing about American democracy is believing that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. And so democracy begins with each of us. It begins when any of us decides that there’s something more important than ourselves – that our country is more important than ourselves,” Biden said.
Biden also used the war in Ukraine as an example to make the case for US support against Russian aggression, a theme he used throughout his visit to France. Biden spoke earlier on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and apologized for delays in providing financial assistance to the war-torn country.
“Does anyone doubt that they want America to stand up against Putin’s aggression in Europe today,” Biden said of the soldiers who fought at Pointe du Hoc. “Does anyone believe that these Rangers want America to fight alone today? … Does anyone doubt that they would not move heaven and earth to defeat the hateful ideology of today?”
“They believed America was the lighthouse of the world, and I’m sure they believed that would continue to be the case forever,” he added.
Biden’s speech took place at the same venue where then-President Ronald Reagan marked the 40th anniversary of the 1984 Normandy landings by delivering an impassioned speech about the values of democracy during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
A major foreign policy achievement of his first term was rallying European allies to support Ukraine as it fights Russian aggression, and Biden has repeatedly referred to the United States as a “world power.”
Trump, meanwhile, has expressed doubts about continuing aid to Ukraine if elected in November. The former president has been critical of allies such as NATO, raising fears among former aides that he might try to withdraw from the alliance or become closer to dictators like Russian President Vladimir Putin or North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if he returns to the White House.
“The thought that comes to my mind is, wow, my God, how did they do it?” Biden said Friday during a visit to France, where he praised the bravery of World War II veterans.
Biden mentioned several veterans, including one who sat next to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and served in the Normandy landings at age 18. Biden greeted the veteran personally after his speech.
Biden’s reelection campaign on Thursday marked the anniversary of the Normandy landings by releasing a video slamming Trump as a “draft dodger.” The video featured three military veterans who say Trump is unfit to be commander in chief and argue that “a good commander in chief is someone who does the best he can.”
The president is expected to conclude his visit Sunday with a stop at the cemetery that Trump was unable to visit due to weather conditions in 2018. Biden has reportedly quoted the remarks on multiple occasions to attack his predecessor. Biden is due to travel to Paris on Saturday for an official visit with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Biden spoke Thursday on the anniversary of the Normandy landings, in which he also referenced Ukraine’s fight against a “tyrant” and urged Americans to remember the value of international alliances at a time of global uncertainty.
He spoke before dozens of surviving World War II veterans, where he also subtly criticized President Trump’s America First policies and stressed the importance of supporting our allies.
The Normandy landings, the largest amphibious invasion in history, helped turn the tide of World War II. President Biden met with 41 veterans on Thursday, including 31 who served in the Normandy landings, telling them they were “the greatest generation” and “saved the world.”
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