Biden warned of threat posed by Trump: accused of plotting to destroy the US constitution

In a speech in Arizona, the Democrat said Republican frontrunner Trump harbored a “thirst for revenge” and urged Americans to defend democracy before it was too late.

The speech comes as House Republicans begin impeachment hearings against the 80-year-old president based on unproven allegations that he lied about his son Hunter’s business dealings.

“We must all remember that democracies do not die by gunshots, they can die when people are silent, when they fail to defend democracy or to condemn threats to democracy,” said Mr. Biden.

In his speech, Mr. Biden, who for months avoided commenting directly on the criminal charges against his right-wing populist predecessor, finally showed he was ready for a tough fight.

Mr Biden sought to show he was not intervening in the lawsuits filed against Mr Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He lost, which led to mobs storming the Capitol in 2021. January 6, results. But in Arizona, Mr. Biden took the unusual step of directly accusing Mr. Trump and his supporters of an attack on press freedom and the rule of law and his intention to dismantle American institutions if he wins a second term.

“Seek revenge”

“D. Trump says the Constitution gives him ‘the right to do whatever he wants,’ Biden said, referring to Trump’s statements about his understanding of the president’s powers. “I’ve never heard a president say this, even in jest, outside the Constitution, in the name of service to the American people, out of decency, out of revenge and out of vengeance.”

Mr Biden warned that “dangerous things are happening in America” and that the Republican Party is “overwhelmed and intimidated” by Trump’s “Make America Great Again” wing. He criticized Republicans for not speaking out when Trump recently accused America’s top military officer of treason and chastised Trump’s allies as they pushed the United States toward a government shutdown this weekend .

The political division evoked by Mr. Biden in his speech is underlined by the Republican impeachment inquiry, the hearings of which began in Washington shortly before his speech. Republicans accuse Mr. Biden of using his position as Barack Obama’s vice president to help his youngest son, Hunter, secure lucrative overseas business deals for personal gain.

Democrats view the hearings as a gimmick, but it increases pressure on Mr. Biden as polls show his poor ratings and Mr. Trump hot on his heels. Current and former presidents have been on the campaign trail this week, more than a year in the future, visiting the swing state of Michigan and meeting with autoworkers.